A Heart Full Of ThanksgivingSample

Thanksgiving Preserves Good  

Have you ever wondered why there is so much “bad” in the world? James in so many words ponders this same conundrum in his book. In James 4:1-2 he answers our question: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”

James blames you and me. We, like Adam and Eve, just can’t stand the thought of anyone sitting on the throne of our lives except us. Anyone who threatens our view of the good life is perceived as a threat to our existence. All this fighting for our “rights” originates in our sin nature. The tragic truth is that though we sport the slogan that we “know what’s best for us,” we in all reality do not. Our pursuit of our desires only causes us to kill each other, hate each other, compete with one another, and enslave one another in the service of the “King of ‘I’.”

As you read James’ words today, consider the conflicts in your life, and instead of looking at them with a victim mentality, consider how you’ve contributed your selfish mentality. Consider also the words of Timothy as you study. He is going to note in essence the same thing as James, but he’s going to take it one step further. Not only do our desires seek to “get what they want,” but then we start trying to lord our wants over others. We start to create laws, judgments, and stipulations for people so that they will fit into our ways. This is called religion.

Timothy is not trying to free us up to do whatever we want in the name of thanksgiving, but by thanking the right object—in all cases, God the Creator—we protect ourselves from ourselves. In this study today, consider how thankfulness brings “you” under control, and causes you to begin putting things, people, and circumstances into their proper place. Everything is used rightly when we honor God through thankfulness.