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Darkness. That word seems to pop out of my mouth much more often this year than last. Whether I am describing a recent trip to the Middle East or commenting on the turmoil of the world, the overall dimming of His Light seems obvious. Sometimes it feels like I’m living right in the midst of the advancing winter of C.S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Romans 1:21 shines His light into this matter “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
As believers, our God-given “DNA” allows us to no longer choose to follow this fleshly path. I see how easy it is for me (and I suspect others), however, to feel that God’s glory is blocked by a shade. At times my thoughts can seem futile, foolish, and dark. What’s even worse, in the midst of that gloomy road, I sometimes consider myself wise. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22)
Thankfulness strikes into that darkness. Though God doesn’t equate thanksgiving as a weapon of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, it is woven into the fabric of Ephesians 5 and into this Romans equation.
Great. I should be thankful. This isn’t a new thought, but even as I woke this morning, it didn’t come naturally. At first I tried the litany of habit “Thank you God for this new day, thank you that it is Monday, etc.,” but then I was cut short.
A habit of being thankful is a noble thing I can aim toward, but just as I can’t manufacture my salvation, glorification, or sanctification, I can’t manufacture having a consistently thankful heart.
What I can do, however, is remember that I am totally dependent on my Savior for thankfulness along with every other strategy that prevails in spiritual battle. I can humbly ask my powerful Savior for help, just as in both the parable of the man begging for bread (Luke 11:5-13) and the prayer of Colossians 1:9-14.
Help me be thankful, Father! When I bow before Him with this request, He gently leads me to where I belong. Thanksgiving seems to start slowly but grows to become a tool to gain perspective on the battle: I can then turn from the darkness and stand, ready to fight.
When have you specifically seen thankfulness change your perspective when you sensed your world was dark?
Just yesterday my husband and I were trying to buy a gift online for a loved one. Everywhere this item was out of stock, so we were thrilled to see one site where we could make this purchase. The order went through, but then almost an hour later, we saw that our order had been cancelled. Immediately I became discouraged and disappointed, and the battle for my mind began. Not being able to buy this gift became my focus.
Later that day, and actually while I was tweaking this devotional, God nudged me to pay attention to what I had written. It amazes me that the things I know in my head don’t always play out in my heart! I repented, asked Him for help, and immediately my spirit lightened as I became thankful that God’s bigger picture and wisdom is always at work.