GIVING THANKS

We are nearing the Thanksgiving holiday and it causes me to reflect on all I am thankful for. Life is so imperfect there are always things to complain about. However, God has given good gifts to us all and a focus on gratitude is good for the soul and energizing to ministry.

Acts 16 gives us the account of Paul and Silas being unjustly beaten and thrown into prison at Philippi. In prison “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25). “About midnight” refers to the literal time of day, but the context makes that statement rich with spiritual meaning. At a very dark hour in their lives they prayed and worshipped. They were able to see beyond their immediate circumstances and reach up to their transcendent God.

God then produced a violent earthquake that caused the prison doors to fly open and everybody’s chains to come loose. As a result of those dramatic events the jailer and his household listened to Paul and Silas share the message of Christ and placed their faith in Him. In turn the jailer ministered to Paul and Silas by washing their wounds and providing a meal.

I wonder how different that midnight experience would have been for Paul and Silas if they had chosen to obsess on the injustice and pain instead of focusing on God. It would have been common fare for the prisoners to hear them speak of how unjustly they were treated and how angry they were with the perpetrators. A litany of complaints would have fit right in with a worldly perspective. But Paul and Silas were not your ordinary victims of hardship. They were men of faith and divine perspective so they prayed and worshipped. And the prisoners were listening to them. People can’t help but notice the uncommon person who lives with a faith-filled and grateful attitude.

Paul and Silas tapped into the abiding presence of Christ and in so doing received the help they needed from God and ended up ministering effectively to others. Prayer and worship is a good antidote to difficulties. I think the prayer part comes easily as we unburden our hearts with the needs we are facing. The worship part, however, may be overlooked. It requires us to focus on who God is and all He has done for us. It requires a grateful heart.

When I was growing up my church would often sing “count your blessings name them one by one”. That’s good advice for us all