During this time of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for! Sounds familiar, right? This week, countless churches will have (or had) sermons with this line said at least once. We may have even done it last Sunday. It's understandable, but it somewhat undermines the significance of what it means to be "thankful".
The reality is that many of us have plenty of reasons to be upset. The loss of a loved one, a stressful work situation, drama with friends and families, feelings of bitterness and unease at the actions of those around us... these are all completely reasonable things to be upset over. It's the unfortunately side effect of living a life in an imperfect place surrounded by imperfect people and unfortunately will not resolve itself until we find ourselves in glory.
So how do Christians maintain a sense of "thankfulness"?
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:13-18)
That phrase in verse 16 really hits home to me. The bad things of this world are going to happen; nothing is going to stop that. So how do Christians cope? How do we observe these tragedies and still keep moving forward? Because we are renewed by something bigger. There is a prize which will, as verse 17 puts it, "achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs [our troubles]".
Delayed gratification is hard, but faith gives us a view into the blessings which await us. When we are at our highs and our lows, we are able to endure with a sense of thankfulness because we know what awaits us on the other end of our temporary stay on earth.
This may not be much consolation to those currently enduring pain and sorrow, but it is the stalwart rock that helps us move forward when the passions of emotion have calmed. No matter what this year or this seasons has (or may) thrown at you, be thankful. For God is preparing for us a spot of glory grander than anything we face here on earth!
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