Beware the Thankless 2020 Attitude

I’m tempted too, believe me! I’m tempted to complain about all that has happened this year. “Misery loves company.” And there’s something about griping with co-workers about working conditions at the water-cooler that is cathartic. But there’s something else about it - its wrong. 

Yes, I said it. We need to stop complaining about all that has gone wrong in 2020. Instead, we need to be thankful. Consider below 7 reasons to be thankful this year, and consequently, why it's wrong to complain about your circumstances.

An Odd-Ball in A Thanksgiving-Cancelation Culture

Before I get to reason number one, let me say that I feel a push against Thanksgiving this year. Not an organized push by governments to limit our gatherings. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about looking down on someone who focuses on the positive. When I focus on the Lord’s blessings this year, or even just try to accomplish normal activities I fear to appear insensitive. But thankfulness is not that.

Perhaps this resistance to thankfulness is because have become addicted to the negative. “How dare you try to focus attention on anything other than what is negative.” Stories that are negative run. Stories that are really bad sprint. They fly across all the pages and screens in the world. If you stick your head up and say, “Hey, guys, we’re Christians and so none of this should make us gripe.” You are seen as an oddball. And, well, in one way, you are odd. Because only the heart of faith can look at negative circumstances in a positive way.

That’s what I want to encourage you to do this Thanksgiving week. Be an odd-ball with me and thank God for 2020! It is what is best for you. I know that on an emotional level. But I also know it on a spiritual level. God’s way, the Thanksgiving way, is always the best way, even when I don’t understand it all. 

Let's consider seven Bible reasons together:

Reason 1 - Others Have it Worse

We had a mouse scattering about the kitchen in 2020. We spotted it quickly scatter from spot to spot once a week or so. It was cute, and stayed to itself. And then we no longer saw it. This week I found that 2020 had become a great loss to our scampering friend as he was fried in an electrical outlet behind a shelf. So, your situation isn’t that bad, right? You are not yet fried.

We need to remember that others have it worse. I’m not going where you think I’m going with this. Christian, you have Christ. And even when you lose life’s comforts you still have Christ. If others do not have Christ, that is why others have it worse. And that is the fundamental reason… The difference between others having it worse is not those who have been fried to death in a wall’s outlet. The difference is possessing Christ by faith in His Gospel message. Possessing Christ is the reason we can be thankful in all things.

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18; emphasis added).

Reason 2 - God is Always in Control.

Those who do not know Christ cannot accept, (yes, even welcome) all circumstances in God’s sovereign control. Their circumstances are worse because they do not see them coming from the loving hand of God.

Those circumstances which are out of your control cause you the greatest stress… If you try to control them. But if you can release them into God’s sovereign hands, then you can smile at the storm and rest in the fact that Christ is in the storm with you. He is able to calm all storms. 

I’m reminded of Joseph’s perspective on being abandoned and abused by his own family:

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Genesis 50:20)..

Reason 3 - You Can Cast Your Care on Christ.

Those who do not know Christ cannot find in Him a caring shoulder on which to roll life's problems through prayer. Who can bear any of life’s most difficult circumstances? All lives face difficulties. Only Christ is the One to Whom we can appeal and find relief.

Perhaps I’m wrong about this but it seems that beer commercials have been replaced by whisky commercials. And the community service commercials for COVID are replaced with depression or alcohol dependence commercials. This signifies a culture needing somewhere to bear its burdens. A life without Christ goes to alcohol dependence, politics, or something else to find a release. Christian, you have Christ.

Christ has entered humanity and suffered loss. He knows what you are going through and is ready to hear your cry for help. He loves you and is sympathetic to your sorrow. Don’t bear it alone. Don’t turn to a political system, a vaccine, or a drug. Turn to Christ!

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Reason 4 - Death Is the Start of Your Best Life.

Those who do not know Christ face a Christless eternity. This is the greatest sorrow of this time period. It is not that someone died, but that someone died without Christ. And so, the fear of death for a Christless person is great. Atheists speak very proudly until they reach their deathbed. 

It's not just that others lost a family member or spouse. Those are all crushing losses that we must mourn. And yet, if a loved one has moved on to their reward of heaven, then we are saddened that we will not see them for a while, but we are thankful that they are doing very, very well. We do not suffer - “as those who have no hope.” For a Christian, death is that “glorious hope” that we receive - “our reward.”

Reason 5 - Christians Have not Lost Their Most Important Possession

Perhaps we are reaping the error of a Christian culture that has believed the lie of a health and wealth false-Gospel. That lie is that you come to Christ for health and wealth and not for Christ Himself. You see the lie there? Whereas, according to the Bible, your physical health is not your most important possession. Your family’s physical health is not your most important possession. Your wealth is not your most important possession. They are way down there on the list of what is most important.

In fact, often health and wealth are the very things that keep us from reveling in the gifts that are the best - the gifts of Christ. I’m reminded of Cowper’s poem:

“The bride eyes not her garment, 

but her dear bride grooms face. 

I will not gaze on glory 

but on my King of Grace.’

How silly a bride would be to get married just to wear a wedding dress. How silly the Christian who glories only in the outward gifts of knowing Christ rather than the relationship itself. We have Christ and He speaks to us in His Word each day. These are our greatest possessions that will never be taken away. Any health, security, comfort, are but the wedding dress on the wedding day. Eternal marriage where we are comforted and protected by His great all-knowing, all-powerful hand is what we glory in no matter the circumstances.

Reason 6 - My Circumstances are Not a Measure of God’s Love.

Perhaps this is another spot where poor theology has hurt our perspective on 2020. At times, we slip into the thinking that bad things only happen because I’ve been bad and God isn’t happy with me. If you are in Christ, God is always happy with you. Your position in the family of God is not based on your works but on the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ.  If you are not in Christ, God is always angry with you. This is the Gospel. Our only acceptance with heaven is in Christ.

When my circumstances are poor, I look at my life and ask the Lord if I have brought upon myself these things because of disobedience to His desires. If so, I repent, and accept the forgiveness of God in Christ. But I know that all along God has loved me in Christ, and His chastening hand on my life (or on my culture) is only from love wooing me back to His side. The sheep that bleats in the thorn-bush does not doubt the shepherd’s care, it fears its wandering and knows that the Shepherd will lovingly mend the cuts and welcome it back to his side.

The cross is the measure of God’s love for me. I see that at all times. And as I see my circumstances in light of that cross. I always thank God for His love for me, in 2020 and in 2019 and in 2120.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Reason 7 - Your Salvation is Nearer Now than 2019

Because of Christ, each passing day is nearer the end of my journey as a pilgrim. Perhaps this is the Bible’s greatest correction to a 2020 Thankless Christian. 

Why should  we expect comfort on earth? Yes, you may have lost comfort this year. I know I have lost physical comforts because of COVID. But I can’t focus on the comforts loss because I cannot live for comfort. As a Christian, I’m living a pilgrimage, walking on to glory where there is fullness of joy. And that fullness of joy is “nearer now than when we believed” (Romans 13:11). And that is the thanksgiving of each year. Each year, no matter what it brings us brings us closer to the end of our pilgrim’s journey.

Along the journey the Lord gives me much to be thankful for, even comforts galore. The Comfort of His Word. The comfort of the Comforter, His Holy Spirit, Who lives in me and manifests the fruit of love, peace, and joy. But the things COVID took are not even the stem on the cherry on top of the comforts that God provides for His pilgrims traveling to HIs celestial city.

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own” (Hebrews 11:13-14).

So Much More - A Good Example

I could go on with more reasons. But alas, I want you to read the article. So I better leave off numbering here. Certainly there is not enough space on the www, to store the list of reasons the Christian has to be thankful for “if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

I will leave you with one story that puts me to shame every time I consider it. One of the final stories from Corrie Ten Boom about her sister, Betsie living in an overcrowded concentration camp facing death each day. The barracks was made for 400 yet housing over 1,400 and filled with lice and fleas. But Betsie implores Corrie to be thankful for everything they had even in those conditions. Consider her testimony:

    “‘That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. “Give thanks in all circumstances!” That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!’

    I stared at her, then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.

    ‘Such as?’ I said.

    ‘Such as being assigned here together.’

    I bit my lip. ‘Oh yes, Lord Jesus!’

    ‘Such as [the Bible] you are holding in your hands.’

    I looked down at the Bible. ‘Yes! Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank You for all the women here in this room, who will meet You in these pages.’

    ‘Yes,’ said Betsie. ‘Thank You for the very crowding here. Since we’re packed so close, that many more will hear!’ She looked at me expectantly. ‘Corrie!’ she prodded.

    ‘Oh, all right. Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds.’

    ‘Thank You,’ Betsie went on serenely, for the fleas and for--’

    The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a fleas.’

‘“Give thanks in all circumstances,”’ she quoted. ‘It doesn’t say, “in pleasant circumstances.” Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.’

    And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.” (The Hiding Place, 197-198).

As time went on, the two ladies found great liberty in that room to lead prayer and Bible study groups, introducing many to Christ. Eventually they discovered why they had freedom in that barracks that they had not enjoyed earlier. It was the flea-ridden condition. The guards refused to monitor the barracks because it was so bad.

And so, Betsie is a rebuke to us all, and is absolutely correct in thanking God for flea-ridden conditions that in most life-times are unthinkable to bear. She is right, and every one of us is wrong if we do not give God thanks this Thanksgiving. 

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

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Scripture Quotes from NASB

The flea account is from the Hiding Place, the testimony of Corrie Ten Boom. It is available here - A great read for you this Thanksgiving.

Pictures above via unsplash.. except my mouse pic = )