"Thankstaking Dinner" and the Look of Gratitude

“Thankstaking Dinner”
- The Look of Gratitude and Generosity –

Bishop Freddie Steel

We are closing in on one of the main holidays celebrated in America. Thanksgiving is a special time. We get off from work early, meet with family and friends, eat ‘till we can’t eat any more, and get up bright and early to catch those special deals at our favorite retailer. Ah, the joys of Thanksgiving!

Pastoring a church helps one to keep life in perspective: we see the best and the worst of things. So, I do greet Thanksgiving as I explained it above and at the same time I recall the images of an elderly gentleman, lady, or couple who can barely get by even with the best of their efforts and looking forward to a Thanksgiving as I just described just won’t happen.

My mind moves to the images of a single mother who is working the best she can to meet her family’s needs and, despite her best efforts, also barely gets by. She will have a hard time explaining to her children why they won’t be having a ‘regular’ Thanksgiving like the other families that may be portrayed on TV.

All of the blessings and benefits that I explained above are to be enjoyed. However, what might be the norm and regular Thanksgiving for many, one that includes all of the fixings and trimmings, to others is a far away dream or even an extravagance that they cannot imagine being privileged enough to receive. For those who see the bountiful spread as routine may very well enjoy the lavish supply as only a temporary fulfillment at best because it has never been compared and evaluated alongside great want and need. But, when the comparison can be made, I have found that the blessings are received with greater gratitude, deeper joy, little or no criticism, and with great satisfaction. You find yourself being thrilled with the Cranberry sauce, the stuffing, the meal, service, and feel very privileged to be able to enjoy the bounty freely.

It is very possible that many American have not defined what ‘enough’ looks like, or when is it that ‘enough’ brings satisfaction and contentment?

Let me share this illustration to help explain what I mean.

Blessings From Above -

The Jordan River begins, it is birthed, near the summit of the nine thousand foot plus Mount Hermon near the Syria – Lebanon borders. The name ‘Hermon’ means the ‘mountain of the Chief’ and has three definite peaks, the middle one being the highest. Personally, it is a perfect picture of Heaven and the Trinity. The snow that covers its peaks year round speaks of the lofty heights of Heaven from which all of our blessings proceed, and the three peaks with the middle one being the most prominent reminds me of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The snow line of Mount Hermon is where the Jordan River begins. ‘Jordan’ means ‘and it comes down abundantly.’ As the condensation increases, the water of the Jordan River makes its way to the valley below and it gives birth to the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life and blessings that affects the entire region and selflessly releases and passes along everything it receives from above.

What is quite interesting to me is that the same water (representing the blessings of God) that originates from above and gives life and releases blessings below is the same water that births the Dead Sea. How can the life-giving water give life to the Sea of Galilee and then produce no life in the Dead Sea? The secret is this.

Happy To Receive, Happy To Give -

Galilee properly handles and stewards the blessings it receives by opening up and sending along all that it has taken in. The ‘secret’ for Galilee is that it is grateful to receive what has been sent down from above, so-much-so that it willingly becomes a channel and conduit for God to use to bless others. The Dead Sea does not pass along its bounty in the same way as Galilee. Consequently, the value and worth of all of the gifts it receives are corrupted and lost: that which was a blessing to Galilee becomes corrupted and spoils and the value and worth are lost. The Dead Sea holds tightly onto all that it receives, being preoccupied with self-interest, and does not offer to send the blessings along as its ‘mother’ did.

Our lives are quite the same. We tend to forget that every good and perfect gift that America receives comes down from the Father above, all of which are to be welcomed and received with deep gratitude and thanksgiving. America’s ingratitude for Father God’s great and wonderful blessings spoils and corrupts their potential for bringing us fulfillment and satisfaction.

I have reached the conclusion that the reason we Americans want more and bigger and better is because we have not identified at what point we reach satisfaction, fulfillment, enough. The blessings that we enjoy in America (but never seem to be satisfied with because of our greed) will never be able to satisfy because in order for there to be ingratitude, one has to find something lacking, something wrong with, some fault with our many blessings and gifts. Ingratitude originates with a critical spirit, a critical outlook on everything in life including employment, people and relationships.

I remember the years that I was critical about things in our marriage and family. On one occasion while praying for my wife and daughter, the Holy Spirit dropped in my heart this thought: ‘I want you to stop praying about your wife and daughter, and I want you to start spending more time in praying ‘for’ your wife and daughter.’ Immediately the acidic spirit of criticism that I had began to be ‘sweetened’ with a new sense of compassion, patience, insights, and gratitude. My life has never been the same since then. What Father God had given to me as a rare and special gift and grace was being spoiled because of the issues of my own heart.

Ingratitude is the sin that made a forty-day journey in the wilderness a forty-year journey for the Israelites. The Israelites found fault with the supernatural manna, the supernatural water, the supernatural deliverance (all of which were foreshadows of and reflected Christ the Savior), and came to believe that their relationship with God centered on and based on His ability and willingness to supply their every need. The thing that was at stake with Israel was their destiny and ingratitude was destiny’s chief enemy. Though God had moved Heaven and Earth to free them and generously care for them, the Israelites could not find it in their heart to render thanksgiving and praise to God for all He had done. Hence, they continued to think like slaves, act like slaves, and treasured the wages of Egyptian slavery more than their God-ordained destiny as being a liberated, blessed peoples and nation. This parallels America today.

Ingratitude overshadows the gifts, grace, and blessings that God daily bestows upon us one and all. I have come to the conclusion that I can complain about sitting in traffic or I can thank God that He has blessed me to have a good car that I can take anywhere anytime I desire: not the case for so many. As a matter of fact, I communicate with ministers and missionaries around the globe who would love to have the opportunity to sit in grid-lock traffic instead of having to walk great distances in terrible or dangerous conditions or ride a bike many, many miles through treacherous terrain to spread the Gospel. No, for the most part, I am quite happy and content to deal with traffic conditions where I can turn on my air conditioning, put my favorite cd in the player, lock the world outside and carry the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom of God with me regardless the conditions outside. Yes, I manage my life with a thermostat rather than reacting to the changing climate like a barometer. Yes, ingratitude can corrupt the fulfillment and satisfaction that we should be enjoying from the vast, everyday blessings Father God sends our way.

I heard someone in a restaurant complaining about the food and the service that I, too, was enjoying but had no problem with. I remarked to those sitting with me how that there would be millions of people in the world who would absolutely love to trade places with me and ‘endure’ the ‘terrible’ food and service that the other patrons were being served. There are multitudes around the globe who cannot imagine what it is like to have someone prepare a meal, bring it to them, and provide service such as what you receive in a restaurant. For the same reason, as well as out of gratitude to Father God, I never leave a poor tip. The quality of the food and service do not matter, within reason, because overshadowing the food and service are many other benevolent issues to be considered like: living in a land where there is plenty; having the money to pay for someone to prepare my meal and serve me; and on and on. No, I don’t ever have a bad meal at a restaurant. Anytime someone serves me my food and meal that I can enjoy in a decent environment are reasons enough to be grateful and be satisfied by these, God’s gifts of grace.

Want To Know A Little Secret?

The secret for receiving uninterrupted and more robust blessings from above is to learn that the amount of ‘water’ we release will determine the amount of water (blessings) we receive. The pre-occupation with self is a sure and certain recipe for creating dissatisfaction and ingratitude that will corrupt the joy and the full experience of all we have received from God’s generous hand.

In order to be ungrateful with the exquisite measures of grace Father God has given us, one must first become dissatisfied or critical with the blessings by finding some fault with their timing, quality, or quantity. If one feels that Father God’s provisions were late or in any way inadequate, then it becomes all too easy and all too normal to begin finding fault with other things of life. On this course, no one will ever be satisfied with the blessings God sends our way.

When one believes that the purpose of the external rewards of life are given in order to make us happy and satisfied, we have set our course on an ever fluctuating base line that can never serve as a foundation for life, happiness, or contentment. When one believes that the joy and satisfaction of life comes from within, wrapped in humble, reverential gratitude, then one sets their base line to a steady foundation that never compromises regardless the external conditions or circumstances. Additionally, you are able to remain content with God and with others because you have a proper perspective on life and its blessings and you are overwhelmed that Father God has supplied you with enough and then some. With this posture, people are no longer the reason for your discontent. You begin to find that life and God’s blessings do, indeed, make for a richer and fuller life. On the other hand, when the believer’s hearts are free from corruption, the absence of such things can not take our joy or gratitude because they are not built upon the ever-changing things of life. In the state of satisfaction and gratitude, your ‘sea’ is full and you are willing to share freely from life’s overflow.

The Roots Of America’s Complaints And Her Self- Image -

Ingratitude is a terrible thing. Ingratitude, an attitude of the heart, can take (actually receive) the best that is available and find it inadequate, unacceptable, and rob that thing of its potential for enriching and satisfying.
Ingratitude is the lack of appreciation for kindness or especially for a gift received. Ingratitude is the lack or the want of gratitude, being without proper thanks for kindness or favor received. Shak describes ingratitude as the ‘marble-hearted fiend. L ‘Estrange says that ingratitude is abhorred both by God and man.

Gratitude, Grace And God -

There is a double sadness to this topic because our social and faith environments are so greatly affected by gratitude. Gratitude is the essential fuel, the animating breath, for the believer’s praise and worship. Without gratitude being present when we engage Father God in worship, our actions become nothing more than ritual and routine which are offensive to Father God. He cannot receive half-hearted worship because we attempting to worship Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him.

Gratitude drives and compels us to worship Father God because we remain overwhelmed by Who He is, and what He has done for us. What He has given to us through His Son has so thoroughly changed our lives that we remain overwhelmed and experience an ongoing awe for Him so-much-so that we can’t stay quiet. Since Father God hates anything that is half-hearted or watered-down and diluted, worship that comes from hearts and lips that are not completely His cannot produce worship or praise that is sanctified, holy, and acceptable to Him. Gratitude remembers the grace of God and the God of grace that drew us to Himself out from death and into the Life shared with Him joyfully.

Gratitude And Trust -

If someone whom you completely know and thoroughly trust made a promise to you concerning an upcoming blessing or a promise of help of some kind, you would be able to wait patiently and continue to speak well of the one who made the promise to you even if all of the evidence in the world is saying something otherwise.

Generally speaking, Americans do not trust God because we have not had to trust God. It would be shameful to think that Americans place more of their trust in the promise of politicians than trust in God. During my thirty-plus years of ministry, I have also observed that American believers also elevate and trust the word of doctors above trusting God and His Word. Many times I have tried to minister faith and the Word of God to people who are in the midst of a medical crisis and it is as though a thick barrier surrounds their understanding so much so that the promises of God’s Word are deflected and repelled somewhat like what you would expect a person to do to repel vile or evil thoughts.

If the American believers have not had to trust God but have trusted in the many wonderful blessings and perks that have been showered on us all, we find that we have become accustomed to leaning to our own resources, ingenuity, and carefully-laid plans. When we place our trust in man above placing our trust in God, the Bible tells us that we open ourselves up to being cursed by making the arm of flesh our refuge, source, and strength.

Another translation of the verse that contains the warning says ‘do not prop yourself up by the things that you trust in.’ Americans have had hungry ears waiting to see which candidate can make us promises that will most effectively address our ills. Unfortunately, putting your trust in the words of any man above and before you put your trust in God’s Word will only result in disappointment. No man has the answers – yet.

I am able to tolerate a lot of things joyfully and with uninterrupted peace because I trust the Father and trust that He is in control. Patience is the by-product of trust that keeps one from running ahead of God and also helps keep our heart fixed on Father God and the integrity of His Word.

Father God Can Be Trusted -

Trust in God helps one to remain peaceful and joy-filled in the midst of congested traffic, incidents of road rage, rude shoppers or retailers. On numerous occasions Father God has proved to me that a delay, a change in my schedule, an untimed event, did not hamper or hinder me but kept me from unseen pitfalls and dangers. After enough of those episodes occurred, I learned to be proactive and begin giving Father God praise when it appeared that things beyond my control were going to adjust and rearrange my schedule and plans.

Trust in God takes the option of vengeance and retaliation off the table and helps to diminish the numbers of people you would otherwise find yourself striving with and in conflict with. Trust in God tells me that I do not have to fear or respond to bad news and threats even though the threats might be legitimate and real. However, the absence of trust does not mean that we should always try to negotiate with and appease those holding the threats, especially if they are evil. When that is the case and there are forces operating one against the other (like the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world), appeasement and negotiations are not options. Spiritual warfare is concluded with the Kingdom of God either being advanced or thwarted.

Spiritual Warfare And Trust -

To think that one can reason with evil that seeks to destroy God’s Seed and His people Israel, is a clear statement that the foundational qualities and components of Father God’s Kingdom on the earth have been lost in the mind of many and will be bartered away for the vain and empty promises of man-made prosperity and peace. Prosperity and peace, the two ‘blessings’ that America is pursuing, will come and they will come to pass and they will be fulfilled – the Bible says so. However, they will come through the False Prophet and the anti-Christ and will be hailed by all who believe that the lure of man-made peace and prosperity are to be sought and cherished above or at the expense of the eternal treasures promised in God’s Word.

Prophetically speaking, the time has come when the dividing line has been drawn and you cannot have the best of both worlds without compromises, compromises that, if taken, will cost people their eternal soul.

If a believer does not trust God, like anyone else, they will resort to human efficiencies and, like Abraham and Sarah, create their own ‘son of promise’ that will persecute the legitimate Son of Promise. I do not recall in Scripture where Father God used PAC’s, polls, and volleying in order to gain an upper hand or gain a more advantageous position. As a matter of fact, the example in Kingdom warfare is seen in Christ as He reminded His disciples that His Kingdom was not ‘of this world’ and the establishment of His Kingdom in the Earth would eventually lead Him to trust Father God so completely with His life that He would lay down His life and die on the Cross. That is the very example the believer is to follow: it is what it means to be a Christian, a disciple, a Christ follower.

Where Are The Heroes Of Faith? -

It takes modern-day heroes of faith to lean back and trust Father God especially when there seems to be less and less of a reason to do so. These verses give poignant illustration to how Moses trusted Father God in the midst of political upheaval. These are the heroes of faith who changed the world using a most unconventional means. It also gives a brief biography of your forbears who fought the very same battles then that you face now. The italics are mine.
Hebrews 11: 24-39 - “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to (compromise His faith and God’s Word in order to) be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (which would have absolutely secured him a promising and ‘blessed’ future and life). 25 He chose to (trust Father God and) share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin (Pharaoh, who was not to be viewed as Moses Papa, and Pharaoh’s governmentally-provided perks and programs). 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt (a type and a shadow of this fallen world’s systems and way that are completely contrary to Father God’s), not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on The One who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
29 It was by faith that (Father God supernaturally supplied all that was needed, and) the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
33 By faith these people overthrew (not in the sense that one would today) kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them (and because America doesn’t know Father God intimately, American Christianity will not trust God and resorts to methods and means to help themselves out of their straits). They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God (and collaborate with the fallen, evil system) in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
In the days ahead, you can get frustrated and aggravated about the congested highway conditions, or you can choose to be grateful that you have a vehicle that can take you where you want to go, when you want to go unlike countless millions who are either walking, riding bikes and the like to get to church, work, etc. There would be many who would just ‘love’ to have the chance to be in their own vehicle with the means to get around even in tense and congested conditions.
Set out today to find and praise God for the blessings you currently have. They may not be the best, but if you believe Father God is in control and has the best in store for you, start looking for every opportunity to identify and thank God for His grace and gifts.
Freddie Steel - Life Church of Chicagoland - 6600 W 127th Street -
Palos Heights, IL 60463 - revfts@usa.net - 708-824-1501

[i] November 26, 2008