Thanks and giving. The union of these words is a powerful combination.
Do you have thanks for the advantages you enjoy? Perhaps education, good health, encouraging friendships, a fulfilling job, maybe even a little financial margin. Dwelling upon thankful thoughts is clearly good for your emotional and physical well-being. Recently, have you told those in your circle of your thankfulness? Expressing appreciation often is excellent for relationships. People like to associate with those who are grateful.
Are you giving from out of your resources, no matter how humble? Virtually everyone has resources, whether time, talents, or treasure. Effectively sharing with others can alleviate suffering, prolong lives, cultivate trust, and restore hope on their behalf. But giving, especially in secret, also profoundly benefits the giver, cultivating humility, gratitude, and kindness. It is a powerful means of personal development, a cure for vanity, pride, and selfishness. Giving is also a most powerful way to create within yourself a sense of thanks.
“But wait. Life is hard and unjust!” is a frequent and understandable protest against both thanks and giving. True, today our world is riddled with hatred, slander, hunger, racism, violence, theft – all vices based in disregard for the value of human life. But effective intervention requires more than simply calling out these vices. It also requires deep inner strength, strength reinforced by thanks and giving.
An eyewitness account of Christ, recorded in the book of Luke chapter 21, describes He and his disciples observing temple worshipers putting gifts into the offering box. “Christ looked up and saw the rich giving of their treasures, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two copper coins. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’”
What is Christ saying? In short: Giving when it hurts, even when resources are slim, is the most honorable giving of all. At this moment, you can immediately list the challenges, opposition, and trials in front of you. Or at this moment, you can unite the virtues of thanks and giving into Thanksgiving.