Thanksgiving and Sweat

Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God's salvation to him." (Psalm 50: 23, WEB)

Have you, like me, wondered why God calls thanksgiving a sacrifice? And what is a sacrifice.

A sacrifice is different from an offering. You give an offering from your increase. But you choose the sacrifice from the best. Then you kill and burn it.

Remember Cain and Abel?

Contrary to many arguments, I do not believe that Cain’s sacrifice was rejected because it did not have blood on it. Otherwise the Bible could have plainly said it. You are supposed to give what you have and not purchase it. Worship and business do not do well. Remember the reason Jesus whipped people in the temple?

You see, Cain offered of his produce while Abel offered the choicest. In fact he offered the firstlings of his flock. In other words he offered what he valued most.

Thanksgiving is costly, probably too costly to ego. Thanksgiving is an open confession that our success is a product of factors beyond us. We are saying that we owe our success and increase probably more on outside factors than our effort. And for the believer those factors were orchestrated by God. It therefore means that his thanksgiving will be directed to God.

You see, we love being in charge. And nothing feeds that desire than the acknowledgment of that effort. Thanksgiving waters all that down. We would rather share the spoils, at the worst as equal partners with God.

That was Cain’s problem. Imagine God did not even appreciate the effort? How does God rebuke instead of applaud him?

Yet many times we are not much different from Cain. We want God to appreciate our effort instead of our worship.

What do I mean? Worship is the clearest statement we can make to God that we are nothing and can do nothing without Him.

Yet isn’t it strange that we even want to be recognized for our faith; a faith that has very little to do with us? Isn’t it strange that we want to be appreciated for our spiritual gifts and ministry? Yet precious little we have done to get them.

Human nature demands recognition for our smallest effort. That is what gives us significance.

Do you realize that at the root of depression is the feeling of uselessness and insignificance? And many times it is the result of feeling unappreciated, sometimes even unnoticed.

Depression is the actual product of life lived for self in the interests of self. It is the frustration that comes from the realization that self is worthless to focus on.

Thanksgiving provides the right position. It hides us in the hands of another, in the process releasing us to our fullest potential as we will then be able to function optimally. That is why we will not have issues acknowledging our dependence.

Thanksgiving is therefore the sacrifice of self. However, it produces the right relationship with Divinity. As a result it produces a right relationship with all of nature.

But it does more, much more.

Did you know that it insures us from walking in sin? You see, it is difficult to willingly offend someone you are grateful to.

Samson had a problem with gratitude. No wonder he fell so badly. King Saul was also fine, until he thought he was enough. Then he fell like lightning. And do you realize that is the point at which the devil approached Eve?

A grateful heart hates sin. David is one such person. That is the reason his repentance was so genuine. And you also realize he always owned up for his shortcomings instead of diverting them elsewhere as we see with his predecessor.

Gratitude also grows humility. Again it is impossible to be proud and at the same time appreciative of what makes me, me. A heart of gratitude puts God in His right place, meaning that it makes me subject to Him, willingly.

Gratitude produces ministry. If I have nothing that is really mine, it is really hard to hoard it for my exclusive use. I can never hide gifts that I know proceed from another from touching others that the source is interested in.

Probably the greatest thing gratitude produces is rest and peace. And it becomes so the better I know the source of all that I am and have. Because God is not only faithful (a faithfulness that does not depend on our faithfulness as I was teaching the other day), but also love. It means He is consistently loving and generous to His creation. That awareness gives me safe hands to rest on.

I love children. Yet did you know that a child will not sleep on just any hands? A child will sleep when it feels safe in a way only a child understands.

One day I boarded a matatu (public transport) to town. Seated next to me was a couple with an infant who was extremely restless and troublesome. I told the mother that it needed sleep but the mother didn’t think so. And both were tired from handling that bundle of joy as is said. When I asked to hold the child, it slept immediately it landed on my hands.

The mother wondered. I told her that a child knows hands to sleep on and they will need experience to make their hands thus. Of course she disagreed and decided to take her child back, who woke up immediately she took it. She gave the child back to me and it slept immediately again until we got to town.

Those young parents were amazed. Yet someone who has handled children knows this.

What am I saying? Gratitude is our way of placing our whole weight on God. I am not thanking Him so that He can pour more grace on me. I am thanking Him because I am resting fully on His grace. And that provides rest. I am like that child who has finally found safe hands to sleep on.

No wonder in the New Testament we are instructed to give thanks in everything and for everything.

It is impossible to thank God and at the same time pride in your sweat. Thanksgiving gives sweat the right perspective. You can’t be grateful and complain at the same time just as you can’t be grateful and chest thump at the same time.

How grateful are you?