By Jason LaFlamme
Munising Baptist Church
Many years ago, I read this quote from German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Satan does not fill us with a hatred of God, rather with a forgetfulness.”
If the evil one can distract us from remembering all the blessings the Lord has poured out upon us, he also can cause us to question God’s goodness.
This is the same ploy the devil used in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created sinless in the image of God. They had access to everything the garden had to offer — except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Think about it: That old serpent didn’t tell Adam and Eve to focus on what they possessed. Instead, he drew their attention to the only thing that was forbidden. This tactic created ingratitude in their hearts because of what they didn’t have.
I have found this same issue to be so true in my own life. No, not running around the garden focusing on the forbidden fruit, but the temptation to forget all that God has already given to me.
There is another situation in life when forgetting to be thankful can occur. It’s not when we are down because we feel God is withholding blessings from us; rather, it is when life is going really well, and we are not depending upon him for our daily bread.
God obviously knew these situations were going to be proclivities of mankind, so he provided some admonitions for us in his word:
- “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 8:11-14).
- “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).
- “But we, your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise” (Psalm 79:13).
Take time each day to remember everything the Lord has provided. A great tool that will prevent us from forgetting is recording all his blessings. Many people use social media to give thanks for one item each day in November. Although this is a great idea, we shouldn’t limit our gratitude to one month of the year.
Something that has helped me over the last 30 years is a beat-up old spiral notebook I titled, “Works of God.” My journal reminds me of God’s faithfulness, but it also allows me to encourage future generations of Christians with testimonies of the Lord’s provisions — just like the psalmist encouraged us to do.
Having each person around the table share a blessing before offering the prayer at our Thanksgiving meal is very appropriate. But we should not reserve these proclamations of gratitude for our annual family gatherings. Being thankful is a healthy daily discipline for all of God’s children. Let’s encourage each other with gratitude. Don’t forget how good the Lord has been to you.