The Thanksgiving season is upon us, and this is one of our favorite times at The Mustard Seed as we as staff, volunteers and guests are encouraged to reflect upon just what it means to be thankful.
The Bible is often thought of as something of a rule book; a kind of glorified list of all the things we are not supposed to do, complete with the consequences of what will happen if we, in fact, do them. However, scripture has a great deal to say that is positive about what we should be like and what our attitudes should be.
Paul’s words in Colossians 3 remind us to do “whatever” with thanksgiving to God. The word “whatever” has in recent years become something of a negative reply to questions we don’t like. For example, when encouraging my 17 year old son to do something he would rather not do, I more often than not hear the word “whatever” being muttered under his breath, which I, with a thankful heart, have learned not to respond to. But in the case of Colossians, it means “to do all things”. As one of my favorite professors once told me while grinding my way through New Testament Greek, “All means all, and all is all that all means.”
In other words: be thankful to God, always. In my 10 years working at The Mustard Seed I cannot always say I’ve been good at this. We are surrounded by great folks that we would do anything for, but sometimes we fail. At The Mustard Seed in Calgary, we have a wall that is covered in artwork, in which the art is painted directly on the wall mural-style. That wall has become known as the “reality wall”. It is called this because shortly after the young people completed painting it, one of those young men took his own life. The wall is a constant reminder to each of us that we can do it all correctly, but sometimes we still fail to help the people we want to. Regardless, we are to be thankful for all those we do, in fact, have the opportunity to help.
When faced with a question about how we should act and respond in life, Paul is encouraging us to begin with a thankful heart. There is no question Paul believed and followed this advice himself in his own life. In Philippians 1:3 (NIV), Paul is writing to the Philippian church from a prison cell, and says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
Perhaps the greatest lesson that we need to begin to embrace is that no matter what situation we find ourselves in this Thanksgiving, whether we are celebrating with friends and family, or even if we find ourselves alone or in a difficult season, we need to remember that thanksgiving goes beyond our own situation.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV): Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ.
So this Thanksgiving, we at The Mustard Seed are thankful. We are thankful for each staff member across Alberta who has committed their lives to care for others. We are truly thankful for each volunteer, without whom we simply could not do what God has called us to do. But most of all, we are thankful for each person that God has brought to us, and for each opportunity we are given to show them in meaningful ways that they matter, and they are loved.
Psalm 118:1 (NIV): Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.
- Bill Nixon, Director of Public Education, The Mustard Seed
@billbytheminute
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