Attitude of Gratitude
TCF Sermon
November 20, 2011
I’d like to start this morning with a little quiz. To avoid embarrassment for anyone but me, I’m going to ask you to keep your answers to this quiz to yourself. But think of how you might answer these questions as we begin this morning.
Here’s the first question: You are in the express lane at the grocery. The sign clearly says 10 items, cash only. You have your 2 cartons of ice cream and 1 candy bar, and you have plenty of cash in your hand, to make the express lane even more express.
But, the person in front of you has at least 20 items, a massive purse in which it will be no doubt difficult to find what will probably be a checkbook they’ll use to pay.
How do you respond?
A. Gratitude for the ice cream and the candy bar you’ll soon enjoy
B. Grit your teeth and wonder if the lady ahead of you failed math or reading.
C. Yell at the cashier, “Checkout Line Violation – count her items! Too many items!”
OK, remember your answer and we’ll move to the next question.
Question 2: You receive a letter from the IRS, telling you that you’ll soon be receiving a $1,000 refund on your tax return, how do you respond?
A. Gratitude to live in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
B. Grit your teeth about the other $10,000 you paid in taxes last year.
C. Rip the letter to shreds while demanding more, and complaining that the government shouldn’t have had that money all year anyway.
Question 3: You are driving to work, in the outside lane, doing a few miles per hour over the speed limit. Someone comes up on your tail behind you at about 90 miles per hour and flashes their headlights at you, bullying you to get out of the way. How do you respond?
A. you move over as soon as you possibly can, and pray that their foolish driving doesn’t get them in an accident.
B. Grab the steering wheel tighter as steam comes out of your ears
C. Tap your brakes to get them off your tail, and when they don’t, slow down to make them more angry at you – when they finally zip by you, you glare at them.
Question 4: You are watching your favorite football team play on Saturday, let’s say you’re Steve Staub, and they win by a field goal in a close game. How do you respond?
A. Stand up and start singing and dancing “Woo Pig Sooie – Razorbacks Rule”!
B. start worrying about the next big game next week
C. Call a sports radio station and complain how your beloved Hogs should have won by 3 touchdowns, and should be having a better season
Now, think about your answers for a second. If you answered all A’s, your name’s probably Joel Vesanen or Jody McEndarfer, and maybe one of you should be up here preaching this morning’s message. If you had all C’s, you might need therapy. But most of you were probably like me – you had more B’s or C’s than you’re willing to admit, but you do wish you could be more like Joel.
I could have titled this morning’s message WWJD. Remember that fad several years back. Bruce even preached a great message about the origin of WWJD. But when I think of this morning’s theme of Thanksgiving, I like to think, What Would Joel do?
There’s the story about Scottish minister Alexander Whyte, who was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, "Certainly the preacher won't think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this." Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, "We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this."
Who does that sound like? I don’t know about you, but I really want to be able to respond to life with an attitude of gratitude – I want to be grateful, not grouchy. And as we begin Thanksgiving week this week, and then Advent season next Sunday, when we remember the indescribable gift God gave us in the Word made flesh who dwelt among us, it’s a wonderful time to explore what the Word teaches us about gratitude.
Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV) 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Did you notice something important here? In the space of three verses, the last three of the six that we read, we see the admonition from the Apostle Paul, to the Christians in the Colossian church, to be thankful.
Just the repetition alone makes me think it must be pretty important, pretty central, to the whole passage. Here in this passage, we see Paul encouraging the believers to live up to what they are, as God’s chosen ones. Imagine what the church would look like if we lived our lives among one another, faithfully practicing the things Paul wrote about here.
Now, I’m not implying that these things aren’t happening here. But let’s think about a church that got really good at applying these things. We’d have compassionate hearts,
genuinely caring about people’s problems and needs, and doing what we can about it.
I do see a lot of that at work at TCF. We’d be kind and humble, not insisting on our own recognition. We’d be meek and patient with each other. We’d bear with one another – that means we’d put up with each other’s stuff. When there was a complaint about anything, there would be forgiveness, with a clear understanding that the roots of that forgiveness are God’s forgiveness of us.
That’s a key element to what we want to look at this morning, so remember that as we continue. We’d love one another – that would be the hallmark of all we do, the thing which bound us together in the unity of the Spirit with all these other things.
In verse 15, after encouraging us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, we see Paul’s first exhortation for us to be thankful. Then, in verse 16, after encouraging us to let Christ’s word dwell in us, encouraging us to admonish one another, Paul tells us what should mark this admonishing, this wisdom, this singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Thankfulness in our hearts to God.
And then, in summing up, Paul says that everything we do should be done in the name of our Lord Jesus. Everything. Isn’t that quite an admonition? Think of some things you might do. Can you truly do those things in the name of the Lord Jesus? When you think of it that way, does that make it harder for you to say this is OK to do?
And in doing so, can we give thanks to God through Jesus, in the midst of doing it? So, here in his letter to the Colossians, Paul paints this wonderful picture of what the church is supposed to look like, how we are to behave with, and relate to, one another.
Remember, he’s writing to believers in Christ. This is just one of several places in the New Testament where we get some very specific ideas about how we are to behave, how we are to walk out our faith in the practical, day-to-day realities of our relationships with one another.
The fact that we’re encouraged to have compassionate hearts assumes the reality that there will be people who need our compassion. The fact that we’re encouraged to have patience, to put up with one another, again, assumes that there will be people in our lives who will challenge our patience, and in fact have perhaps challenging personalities, quirks, or even character flaws in their lives that we find difficult to tolerate.
Don’t start looking around. The fact that Paul admonishes us to forgive one another assumes that people will do things to upset us, or even to hurt us. And the fact that we’re encouraged here to love, because love binds all these other things together, like a belt holds your pants up, says that there may be people in our lives who are less lovable than others.
Or there may be some who are usually lovable, who have rather unlovable moments or even seasons of their lives. But it’s interesting to me that we find in the midst of all these things we are to do, attitudes we are to develop, like compassion, humility, patience, love… we also find, three separate times, this urging us, to be thankful.
It’s interesting also to note what this word thankful means. In each instance:
1. Verse 15 where it says: “and be thankful”
2. Vs 16 where it says: “with thankfulness in your hearts to God”
3. Vs 17 where it says: “giving thanks to God the Father through Him”
…each place, the original language that’s translated here as some form of thankfulness, has the same root word. That Greek word is charis. Charis, of course, means grace, something given to you, unmerited favor. It’s the word translated in many places in the New Testament with the English word grace. In fact, the KJV translates vs 16 to say:
Colossians 3:16 (KJV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Charis is the same word translated as grace used in this passage:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
I think it’s instructive for us to pay attention to this close connection between grace and thanksgiving. Think about this for a moment, looking back at the earlier verses in this section. Why should we show compassion? Because God, in His grace, as a gift, showed compassion for us. Why should we show kindness? Because the Word tells us that the gift of His kindness leads us to repentance. Why should we exhibit humility? Because Jesus humbled Himself by becoming the Word made flesh. Why should we be patient with each other? Because the Word tells us that God is patient with us, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to everlasting life.
Each of these things are manifestations of the grace of God – part of His wonderful, undeserved gifts to us. Even the passage from Ephesians we read about a moment ago helps us understand this inextricable connection between grace and thanksgiving.
In Ephesians 2, we’re told that this grace by which we’re saved, and even this faith through which we’re saved, are not our own doing. We’re not capable of earning this grace. It’s a gift of God, not because of something we’ve done. None of us can boast that we’ve been so good that God could save us, or maybe didn’t need to save us.
So God’s grace, and this call from Paul, three times in this passage, to be thankful, are tied together, with our thanksgiving, deeply rooted in God’s grace.
After all, as scripture also asks us rhetorically:
1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV) What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
There’s a story told of the post turtle that has several variations, some of which are used in a derogatory way, especially in political terms. It’s an equal opportunity slam, regardless of whether your leanings are Democratic or Republican. Either party can use it to describe someone they don’t like. One version of the post turtle story goes:
"You know he didn't get up there by himself, and he sure doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do up there and you just wonder what kind of an idiot put him up there in the first place." (Monterey County Herald, July 2008)
But I prefer the other, more instructive story I heard about the post turtle, and how it relates to what we’re looking at this morning. It takes the first part of what we just saw and leaves off the slam at the end.
Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post in his office. When asked, "Why is that there?" he answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."
This view of the post turtle story, relates most clearly to what we’re looking at this morning. This is the foundation of our gratitude. This is how we can have an attitude of gratitude. We must remember that we got here with the help of God, and that He is the provider of every blessing we have. It wasn’t just God’s help – help implies that we could contribute our own efforts. This turtle didn’t have help getting to the top – someone put it there.
God starts with His grace, His generous, merciful heart toward us, that gives us life, that saves us from sin, and allows us to enjoy so many blessings, none of which we’ve earned, and none of which we deserve in any way. That’s true no matter how talented we are. It’s true no matter how hard we work. Our talents are given to us by God. The ability to work at all is given to us by God.
What do we have that we did not receive? Of course, that’s a rhetorical question, and the answer is NOTHING!
James 1:17 tells us every good and perfect gift is from God. So, thanksgiving is very clearly rooted in God’s grace toward us. With that understanding of the roots of this admonition to be thankful, let’s go back for a moment and look at our passage with this idea in mind.
Starting with verse 12: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,”
Why are we God’s chosen ones? Why are we holy and beloved? Because of God’s grace. His grace from before the beginning of time. What are we to put on? We see that expanded from verse 12 through verse 13:
“compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
In thankfulness for His grace, we can have compassion. Because we’re thankful for God’s kindness, we can be kind. Because we’re grateful for Jesus’ model of humility, we can be humble. Because we’re thankful God is patient with us, we can be patient with others. Get the idea?
How can we not have compassion toward others, when God had compassion toward us? We complain about having to put up with other people’s idiosyncrasies, their annoying habits, their lack of manners, their laziness, their sin.
But God, while were still sinners, sent Christ to die for us. He didn’t wait for us to get good. He didn’t wait for us to be perfect, a little less sinful or even less annoying. He extended His grace toward us before we even thought to ask for forgiveness. How can we, as His followers, be anything less than thankful to Him for His grace, and in turn, because of that attitude of gratitude, respond by extending the same grace that God has given us, to others.
What a great prescription Paul has given us here for true unity and love in the church. And part of the foundation for this is the grace of God, and our response to that grace in gratitude.
Think with me for a moment what life looks like when this attitude of gratitude is not present. Let’s do the old college thesis: compare and contrast, the state of gratitude with the state of ingratitude.
A man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man is incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week." A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week." A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat -- only the nine of us."
So what do we learn from this? We have this human tendency to compare, don’t we? But when we compare our current state with something worse, it often leads to more gratitude, doesn’t it?
In his book FOLK PSALMS OF FAITH, Ray Stedman tells of an experience H.A. Ironside had in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat." The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!" Ironside said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!"
Ray Stedman, Folk Psalms of Faith.
Ingratitude. It’s not pretty, is it? We could say that a lack of thanks makes us look like dogs.
There’s some evidence that ingratitude can even make you sick, and that a thankful heart can make you healthier. Let me tell you the story of the very first billionaire.
The First Billionaire
The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But three years later at the age of 53 he became ill.
His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all the hair on his head. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, "He could not sleep, would not smile, and nothing in life meant anything to him." His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year.
That year passed slowly, as he was in agonizing pain. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream. He could barely recall the dream but knew it had something to do with not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice.
He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his vast wealth to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for current strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. The list of discoveries resulting from his choice is enormous.
But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98.
Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back from his wealth.
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com, September 2001.
We can learn to be grateful – why else would Paul encourage us to cultivate this attitude if we couldn’t learn it? Ungrateful people cannot be happy.
Psalm 92:1 says it is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord. Why is that? Does God need our thanks?
Well, we might make a case that God likes it and enjoys it and appreciates it. But God doesn’t need anything. He’s not up there pining away, wishing we would be more grateful so He could feel good about Himself. When we do things for people and they seem ungrateful, it’s annoying and frustrating to us. But God doesn’t get frustrated. So, why is it a good thing to give thanks to the Lord? Why is it a good thing to cultivate an attitude of gratitude?
I believe it’s at least in part because God knows it’s good, for us. We need it. Learning to be thankful is the best prevention possible against taking anything for granted - against thinking we deserve anything good. Again, what do we have that we did not receive?
Let’s remember again that Paul was speaking to believers here. He was outlining a whole list of attributes and attitudes we want to cultivate, and these attributes are largely focused on how we relate to one another.
Several years ago a professor at the University of Nebraska conducted a group of studies called the "Family Strengths Research Project." The researchers identified six qualities that make for strong families. The first quality and one of the most important to be found in strong families was the quality of appreciation. Families that are strong, are strong in part, the research concludes, because family members express to each other their appreciation for what the other members DO, and for who they ARE.
In a similar study another researcher looked into the effect of praise in the workplace. His study showed that the ratio of praise to criticism in the workplace needs to be four to one before employees feel that there is a balance - in other words, there must be four times as much praise as there is criticism, before they feel good about their work and about the environment they work in.
Isn’t this consistent with what we’ve seen this morning? If we want to have a healthy family, a strong workplace, or a unified body of Christ at TCF, or any other effective group, we need to be sure that appreciation, praise, and thanksgiving are heard at least four times as often as criticism.
SOURCE: Rev. Richard J. Fairchild 1998, 2001. "Gratitude - A Necessary Attitude" http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-thansesn.html
All our actions are to be accompanied with thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6. We are to engage in every duty, not only in the name of Christ, but with thankfulness for strength and reason; for the privilege of acting so that we may honour him; and with a grateful remembrance of the mercy of God, that gave us such a Saviour to be an example and guide. He is most likely to do his duty well who goes to it with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God for his mercies; and he who is likely to perform his duties with the most cheerful fidelity, is he who has the deepest sense of the Divine goodness in providing a Saviour for his lost and ruined soul. 2 Corinthians:14,15. Barnes Notes on the New Testament
Thanksgiving is the foundation for all that Paul encouraged the Colossian Christians to do in their relationships with one another. Paul knew, as this commentary notes, that those most likely to exhibit this kind of Christian character and behavior are those who have the deepest sense of God’s goodness and grace towards them, leading to a heart overflowing with gratitude to God.
Jesus said on the cross “It is finished.” (Luke 19:30) What that means is that salvation is “Something outside of myself. Something with which I had nothing to do. I add nothing to it. I take nothing away. I just receive it as a gift from my Lord. And the rest of my life is spent, not in working for my salvation, but the rest of my life is spent in praise and gratitude and love for what Jesus has done for me.” W.A. Criswell
As we enjoy family and friends, and eat our turkey dinners and pumpkin pies this week, let’s remember God’s grace and goodness, and let that be the foundation of our thankful hearts. Pray
