The Power of 'Thanks-living'

About 3 years ago I sat frustrated, I was dealing with one of the most miserable emotions of all: envy, I was envious of someone I knew. There's just no fun in envy-it's the least gratifying of the 7 deadly sins. With most of the 7, we at least get some momentary pleasure--the temporary physical pleasure in satisfying lust or the satisfaction of 'telling it like it is' when we plunge into anger. With envy, we wallow in our misery, as one person put it: sorrowful at another person's good. We want what they have but what we have no right to.

I had heard before that the remedy to such a pitiful situation was to just start thanking God for everything we could think of, so I did. With paper and pen in front of me I started writing down and numbering everything I could possibly think of that I was thankful for. When I reached the 80-something things, not only had the envy vanished, but tears of gratefulness were streaming down my face.

That moment really changed my life, and in light of the great day of thanks approaching, I wanted to publicize some lessons I've learned about the power of 'thanks-living', that's right, living a life of thanks for what we have.

First, giving thanks makes me realize all that I DO have. Let's face it, we are bombarded with dozens of ads every day designed to make us want what we don't have. Taken altogether, they accumulate to make us feel empty, like something is missing in our life and that new pair of shoes, jeans, ripped abs, whatever, will fill the space within. A friend of mine was talking with a noted marketer lately and asked how advertisers have become so good at what they do. "That's simple", the marketer replied, "We take a page straight out of Satan's book. We realize that every person wants what they don't have, we just capitalize on that." As a result, we line up before sunrise on black Friday, eager to grab our new toys at discount prices only later to suffer with a bad case of 'buyer's remorse', realizing the 'goods' haven't done that much good to change our lives. Many times we don't even need what we buy (there have been times in the past when I bought something and it stayed in my closet with the tag on for days or weeks before even I wore it. Can you relate?) Living a thankful life is the cure to this cycle, rather than letting our inner landscape be shaped by the force of greed and envy, we can be filled with deep gratitude for all that we do have.

Second, I've seen how giving thanks gets me through difficult times and appreciate what is right in this moment. I used to get locked up in the mentality (and at times I still can) that once I make it through the current crisis, things will get back to normal and I can regain a sense of peace. The problem is, we face different crisis almost every day: a child is sick, a heating bill is larger than expected, David Archuletta didn't win American Idol (j/k, I'm a public David Cook fan). Rick Warren once pointed out that 'there's never been a time in my life when everything was good and nothing was bad, AND there's never been a time when everything was bad and nothing was good. Both are happening at the same time and what makes the difference is which we choose to focus on. Before I got married I got cold feet big time because I started focusing in on one certain quality about Chantelle that I didn't like. As I focused on the issue, it seemed to grow larger and larger until it was all I could think about and was robbing me of all joy. When I shared this with a trusted mentor, he said 'Chris you just need to pray.' I said 'really' but I was thinking 'are you crazy? Aren't you listening?' He said 'yeah, the Bible wouldn't tell us to 'think about what is pure, lovely, and admirable' if we couldn't do it.' In the end, I learned that he was right, not only about my Chantelle, but all of life. I remember a friend of mine had his car stolen and I said 'man that is terrible' but he replied 'yeah I'm looking forward to see how God works through this.' An attitude of gratitude changes the entire process of pain in our life. Lately, when people have asked me 'how's it goin'?' I've begun to respond 'It is goin' well whether it likes it or not.' Meaning, whatever happens today, I'm not going to let it shape me, rather through my faith that 'God works in all things for the good of those who love Him', I'm going to shape my day. I am not a victim to whatever happens in my life, I am a victor no matter what happens in my life.

Third, I've seen how being thankful makes me realize that I have a lot to give. When I'm thinking about what I want, I grasp and hoard to and for myself. When I'm thankful, my eyes are opened to how much I do have. I buy less, consume less, and I realize I have a lot to give--time, affection, energy, financial resource. I remember that people in Haiti are eating 'dirt cookies' to survive (a mixture of butter, salt, water, and yes, real dirt. It's called geophagy and is practiced in many poverty stricken countries). What can I do to make a difference since I've been given so much? What can you do to make a difference? If you're reading this, it's probably b/c you're affluent enough to be on a computer.

Finally, I've learned that starting to give thanks for all we have take us on the first footsteps for God's path for our lives. A person once said that 'the loneliest moment in an atheists life is being filled with joy and having no one to thank for it.' In giving thanks, we can't help but draw near to God, reflecting on all the blessing in our lives brings us into the reality that there is Someone out there who has blessed us with it. That might be the beginning of being closer to God than we every have. If you believe there is a God, I'd encourage you to take a step or two closer to Him, wherever you're at, by giving thanks for all that is good, pure, and lovely in your life today.