The Cost of Thankfulness
The Cost of Thankfulness
In recent years, thankfulness has not been the first thing on my mind by a far stretch. Disgruntledness has often been front and center. Why this, why that, this is bad, and that is awful. And it doesn’t help that I’m not wrong, a lot of things in life have been really and actually miserable and unexplainable.
My sweet momma, who has traveled her own hard road for a long time, has often gently reminded me of the power of being thankful to God in, and even for, all circumstances.
My logical brain can’t comprehend how or why I would want to be thankful for things that hurt so much, and I struggle to hold two opposing things as both true at the same time. It seems that if I am thankful for hard circumstances then I am negating or dismissing the pain of them, and frankly that feels impossible.
I’ve stumbled across Psalm 50 recently, several times now (which is usually the Holy Spirit’s way of saying “hellooooo, pay attention!”), and it refers to offering thanksgiving as a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, where literal sacrifice of a physical possession was the primary way of interacting with God, this was probably an analogy people understood more readily.
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving…” Psalm 50:14a
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me…” Psalm 50:23a
For us, sacrifice is a more intangible concept, and something that gets thrown around without the same meaning. But what if offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving is literal? What if there is a cost to offering thanksgiving? What if the cost is giving up our our perceived right to feel how we feel and choosing to say “thank you”, even if we don’t feel thankful?
In her book Holy Hygge, Jamie Erickson writes this about thankfulness (pg 164):
“The idea that God owes you or me anything beyond what He has already given us is a dangerous notion. From the beginning, He’s given us abundantly more than we could ever ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20). May our response to the good he’s given us echo the words of the prophet Habakkuk [Habakkuk 3:17-18].
“If you’re having trouble voicing your gratefulness, remember that while practice doesn’t always make perfect, it does make progress. Sometimes in life, you just have to play scales over and over until you get better, until the noise starts to sound like music. In this case, you have to keep saying “thank you” until you actually mean it.”
When I was a kid a popular worship song was “we bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord”. Those words meant absolutely nothing to me at the time, but maybe I’m starting to understand. Maybe thankfulness isn’t a flippant thing we do to deny the hard stuff and “think positive thoughts”. Maybe there is a cost to being thankful, and the cost is our right to dwell on feeling entitled or jilted or cheated or passed over or whatever else is in getting in the way of thankfulness.
And maybe, the cost of thankfulness is a tool to make us more like Christ and less like ourselves.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
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Thanks for reading along and sharing with your friends! It’s encouraging to me when what I’m learning and walking through encourages you :).
I’m watching and listening to…
Audiobooks:
→ Anne of Green Gables (still, almost done)
→ The book of John on Dwell (listening through it as many times as I can this month)
Podcasts:
→ Questioning Christianity by Tim Keller
→ Faith Alive Series by Sam Storms
→ What is Biblical Repentance by Phylicia Masonheimer
Music:
→ Renew Your Mind playlist
→ Rehearsing Truth playlist
Shows/Movies:
→ American Gospel: Christ Alone
→ All Creatures Great and Small Season 3
I’m reading…
→ Sam Storms’ articles on Spiritual Warfare
→ Doubt Less by Shelby Abbott
→ All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
I’m loving…
→ Barefoot Shoes
(A barefoot shoe is one that is minimalist and “zero drop”, meaning no heel, no arch support, and a wide toe box so your toes can spread naturally. It’s like going barefoot but with protection from the elements and larger road hazards. I started wearing these in April, and I am in love. I can’t go back to regular shoes. There are many more expensive ones but these do the job more than adequately for daily wear shoes.)
I’m cooking…
→ Sausage Potato Spinach Soup, aka “Company Soup”
Serves 6
Saute in a soup pot:
1-1 ½ lbs bulk sausage, sweet italian works well
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
When sausage is cooked through, add:
1.5 lbs yellow potatoes, cubed
1 t oregano
1 t basil
A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance
Salt to taste
4 cups chicken broth
Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add:
1 box fresh spinach
A heavy pour of milk or a good splash of cream to make the broth a little white
When spinach is wilted, serve with a crusty bread.