The Giving of Thanks
While growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, I never remember a meal that didn’t begin with the giving of thanks. Most times it was my father who prayed, but as we grew up this practice was shared among us. Never a long prayer, but always with these words, “thank you Lord for this food which we are about to eat.”
Later as I reached my teen years, I thought this daily ritual to be religious so when alone or with my friends, I readily discarded it. I was no longer thankful to God for what I had and began to live as if I was the source of my life. This began a spiral decline ending in utter despair and the loss of all I had.
When the Apostle Paul was caught in a storm that lasted for weeks and it looked like all was lost, he encouraged those in the ship to take a meal to strengthen themselves before the ship would be torn apart. It didn’t look like there was anything to be thankful about, but in front of a ship full of “non-believers”, he gave thanks, (Acts 27.35). What was the result? All were saved.
In America, as in Europe, we have lost the practice of giving thanks. As a boy, I remember every graduation ceremony, awards presentation, sports event, scouting activity, you name it, all began with a word of prayer and thanksgiving. Even the celebrated “Thanksgiving Day”, in which the forefathers of America intended as a day to stop work and give thanks to God, has been reduced to a “Turkey Day”. Isn’t this honoring of creation above the Creator?
The giving of thanks places us under God’s protection. It is honoring God as God, the source of all of life and of all good. It places us in a position to receive from Him. So at every meal, in every place and at all times, let us give God our thanks.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Romans 1.21; II Timothy 3.2; I Timothy 2.1; 4.4-5; Philippians 4.6; Psalms 100