Gratitude

As an editor, I work in an environment of thought. If I'm not reading something someone else has written, I'm writing something myself, and lately I've been finding that even my out-of-work time is spent reading about theological debates that I didn't even know were being argued (more on this another time). I always find it interesting when the same concept recurs within a relatively short period of time, because I know that even the ideas that I'm confronted with come not from chance, but from God's fatherly hand.

The theme for this week seems to be gratitude as a response to cynicism. This came up for the first time Monday morning during our departmental Bible study, when the study leader asked how we combat the dangers of cynicism. The point that was being made in the book we are reading together was that it is very easy to become cynical when we work in a culture of Christians (such as Discovery House Publishers and RBC Ministries). I thought that it was an interesting question, but it never seemed to be answered, and I put the question behind me as soon as Bible study ended and I returned to my desk to consider the work ahead of me for the week.

And then my last posting addressed the issue of gratitude, that our beliefs organically express themselves in our actions. We express gratitude for all that Christ has done for us by obedience to God's law, because He tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

And it all came together during Wednesday's chapel service. The speaker, Don Denyes, pointed us to 1 Chronicles 29:10ff., where David rejoices that the people have given so generously for the building of the temple. In his prayer is the foundation for gratitude. Interestingly, Denyes pointed out that the first layer of the foundation of gratitude is knowing who God is (what we believe), as David lists many of God's attributes (greatness, power, glory, victory, majesty). When we truly know Him, we will be grateful.

We also need to understand that God is sovereign, that He controls all things (v. 11). When we understand that all belongs to God and that He controls all the circumstances of our lives, we can be thankful for whatever happens in our lives.

Finally, we need to understand who we are and what we deserve. David says, "Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this?" When we understand that what we actually deserve is not nothing, but rather eternal condemnation, we must be thankful when we realize the great blessings of salvation.

Gratitude is a good theme, and it's definitely an antidote for the cynicism that can so easily take over when we read the news or simply interact with other human beings. Gratitude forces our focus away from ourselves and onto the One who has never been motivated by selfishness. And for that I am thankful.