by: John Wilbanks
One memorable hymn from my childhood was Count Your Blessings. Its simple message was to be thankful for what God has done for us. While that encouragement may be simple, it seems that it’s not always common.
Winston Churchill told the story of a young British boy who went to the pier and accidentally fell into the ocean. Unfortunately, he could not swim and would certainly drown. A quick- thinking soldier who worked on the pier saw the situation and at his own peril dove in and saved the boy. He took the boy home but no one was there. A few days later, the boy’s parents came to the pier to find the soldier. When they introduced themselves, he interrupted them and said, “I don’t want a reward, it is enough to know that I was able to save your son. They replied, ‘We are not her to give you anything. We want to know where our son’s hat is. What have you done with it?” Incredulous, the soldier replied, I saved your son’s life and all you want is to find his hat?”
As crazy as that story of ultimate ingratitude may seem, these parents are not alone. Remember the Israelites complaining about having to eat manna every day, How about ten leper’s being healed by Jesus and only one returning to thank and praise him? On and on it goes.
Read Colossians 3:12-17 and see Paul’s instructions about the traits we are to “put on” as Christ-followers. Nowhere do we see ingratitude, entitlement, selfishness or judgment.
Instead we find compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and most of all love. When we put on these characteristics, the peace of Christ rules in our hearts and we can all use some of that in these challenging times! In verses 15-17, we are told to “be thankful”, worship with “thankfulness to God in our hearts” and to do everything in the name of Jesus “giving thanks to God.” Like the Colossians, our hearts need to be filled with thanks for God’s inexpressible grace and love. So today let us, all in the words of that old hymn, count our blessings and name them one by one.