Thankful?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti said, “That the worst moment of the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.” Some would say that is a shame, what is worse is the believer who has someone to thank but doesn’t. The atheist is living out his or her faith, while those who call themselves Christian who don’t thank God are not living out theirs.

I think when it comes to being thankful we in an American society have forgotten or have taken it for granted. It’s easy isn’t it? I mean think about the things we take for granted each and every day. For example, having electricity in our homes, each night when we come home and flip on the light switch we don’t ponder and give thanks for have this luxury. We just expect it in our lives. But when the lights go out, for a few hours or even days, what do we do. We sit in the dark, or maybe we have a few candles lit. No television, radio, computers, or the internet. After a long time without these things we are grateful when the electricity comes back on. Why is it that we usually have to lose something before we are grateful to have it in our lives? From family and friends, a place to live, a car to drive etc. It seems to be a lesson we have to learn over and over again. I think it is the human condition to take what we have for granted, or just to expect it in our lives. I mean if it wasn’t, then why do we need a holiday each year to remind us to be thankful.

When you look at the Old Testament God instituted many festivals to remind the people to be thankful to Him. I do wonder if we who live in an affluent society have a harder time with being thankful then others. I posed this question to a group of people the other day, and one lady said she knew a woman who went on a mission trip to Africa. She noticed that the people in the village were very poor, had very little in their lives to be thankful for, well at least in our eyes. But the people were more grateful for what they had then most America’s who have plenty. Does our affluence blind us to being grateful for what we have? Do we tend to think about what we don’t have, or what is missing, instead of what we do posses?

Think back to the quote by Rossetti, “That the worst moment of the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.” At least the atheist is living out what he says he believes, the question for us is are we? Do we look around at what we have and see it as something we deserve? Or think we have gained it by our own wisdom and strength? Or don’t think about our blessings at all, but just go through life looking for the next thing. In an age of instant gratification have we become discontented, impatient, and prideful? Or are we being content in all things, good or bad, plenty or in need? Are we more like the atheist when it comes to being thankful?

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
   nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
   and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
   and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

-Habakkuk 3:17-18