How to be Thankful

Intro

In 1957 a group of missionaries boarded a plane and headed to South America to evangelize an unreached tribe in the jungle outside of Ecuador. Their names were Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian. This is their story:

The Wikipedia entry for Operation Auca summarizes what happened next:

On January 6, after the Americans had spent several days of waiting and shouting basic Huaorani phrases into the jungle, the first Huaorani visitors arrived. A young man and two women emerged on the opposite river bank around 11:15 a.m., and soon joined the missionaries at their encampment. The younger of the two women had come against the wishes of her family, and the man, named Nankiwi, who was romantically interested in her, followed. The older woman (about thirty years old) acted as a self-appointed chaperone. The men gave them several gifts, including a model plane, and the visitors soon relaxed and began conversing freely, apparently not realizing that the men’s language skills were weak. Nankiwi, whom the missionaries nicknamed “George”, showed interest in their aircraft, so Saint took off with him aboard. They first completed a circuit around the camp, but Nankiwi appeared eager for a second trip, so they flew toward Terminal City.

Upon reaching a familiar clearing, Nankiwi recognized his neighbors, and leaning out of the plane, wildly waved and shouted to them. Later that afternoon, the younger woman became restless, and though the missionaries offered their visitors sleeping quarters, Nankiwi and the young woman left the beach with little explanation. The older woman apparently had more interest in conversing with the missionaries, and remained there most of the night.

After seeing Nankiwi in the plane, a small group of Huaorani decided to make the trip to Palm Beach, and left the following morning, January 7. On the way, they encountered Nankiwi and the girl, returning unescorted. The girl’s brother, Nampa, was furious at this, and to defuse the situation and divert attention from himself, Nankiwi claimed that the foreigners had attacked them on the beach, and in their haste to flee, they had been separated from their chaperone. Gikita, a senior member of the group whose experience with outsiders had taught him that they could not be trusted, recommended that they kill the foreigners. The return of the older woman and her account of the friendliness of the missionaries was not enough to dissuade them, and they soon continued toward the beach.

On January 8 the missionaries waited, expecting a larger group of Huaorani to arrive sometime that afternoon, if only to get plane rides. Saint made several trips over Huaorani settlements, and on the following morning he noted a group of Huaorani men traveling toward Palm Beach. He excitedly relayed this information to his wife over the radio at 12:30 p.m., promising to make contact again at 4:30 p.m.

The Huaorani arrived at Palm Beach around 3:00 p.m., and in order to divide the foreigners before attacking them, they sent three women to the other side of the river. One, Dawa, remained hidden in the jungle, but the other two showed themselves. Two of the missionaries waded into the water to greet them, but were attacked from behind by Nampa. Apparently attempting to scare him, Elliot, the first missionary to be speared, drew his pistol and began firing. One of these shots mildly injured Dawa, still hidden, and another grazed the missionary’s attacker after he was grabbed from behind by one of the women.  . . .

The other missionary in the river, Fleming, before being speared, desperately reiterated friendly overtures and asked the Huaorani why they were killing them. Meanwhile, the other Huaorani warriors, led by Gikita, attacked the three missionaries still on the beach, spearing Saint first, then McCully as he rushed to stop them. Youderian ran to the airplane to get to the radio, but he was speared as he picked up the microphone to report the attack. The Huaorani then threw the men’s bodies and their belongings in the river, and ripped the fabric from their aircraft. They then returned to their village and, anticipating retribution, burned it to the ground and fled into the jungle.

That is a tough story of martyrdom for the Kingdom of God. And, in moments like these, we tend to wonder… if they would have known, do you think they would have gone still? Not only that, but do you think they would be thankful that this happened if they could foresee into the future? I think for many, the answer may be no. But, I think Jim Eliot would have resounded a YES for listen to one of Elliot’s journal entries: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

Can we be thankful in hard times? Yes, we learned about that some last week, but practically speaking, how?

Look with me at the story of the Last Supper and see how Jesus shows us how to be thankful in our perspective, our attitude, and our actions.

Luke 22:7-23

Perpective

How can we be thankful? Even more specifically, how can we be thankful in all situations? It begins with our perspective. Seeing the situations in the light of reality and eternity. Not in light of our sinful perspective and lies.

What do I mean by that? What I mean is that, when we look at hardships in life, we are tempted to view them in a very temporary “here and now” light, rather in the light of what is to come, the blessings and growth from God.

Jesus and His disciples are preparing for the last supper, but little did the disciples know, this would be the last time they ate with Jesus on earth. But … Jesus knew that.

Knowing the pain that was to come, knowing the fact that Judas just betrayed Him, Jesus had every human right to be upset and unthankful… yet He didn’t.

Jesus didn’t panic, He didn’t shut down, rather He kept working to fulfill the plans and prophesies of God.

He was going to do what was custom, eat the passover with His disciples. He would foreshadow His own death in doing so. He had a perspective that looked at the situation not in light of Judas’ betrayal, nor in light of the pain He would soon face; rather, He viewed this final supper with His disciples in light of your eternity and mine.

He knew what was about to come, yet He concerned Himself with nothing but your salvation. He had the right perspective.

One author and pastor can be quoted, “Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there, but it is totally meaningful! Every millisecond of your pain from the fallen nature of man in the path of obedience is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that. Of course you can’t see what it is doing, don’t look to what is seen. It is working for you in eternal weight of glory, therefore, do not lose heart. But take these truths and day by day focus on them. Preach them to yourself every morning. Get alone with God and preach His word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence that you are new and cared for. ” (John Piper)

When we face hardships, we must face them in light of eternity rather than temporary pain.

We must have an eternal perspective. Romans 8:18–19 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

Nothing you face right now is worthy to be compared to eternity with God in heaven. The sufferings, the struggles, whatever it is you face as real and hurtful as it is, when viewed with the right perspective is light in comparison to what awaits you in eternity.

Jesus knew this, Jesus performed this as He prepared for this last supper. Jesus viewed this last painful supper in light of your eternity and mine. He viewed it in light of your needs and mine. Jesus was working for YOUR good as He prepared for the last supper with the right perspective.

Attitude

Not only did Jesus have the right perspective going in, He maintained a right attitude.

Remember, Judas just betrayed Him and Jesus knew. The cross was just waiting and Jesus knew.

So He, like many of us, could have thrown Himself a pity party. He could have thrown himself at the feet of His disciples in tears, fretting what was to come. He could have righteously confronted Judas in front of the crowd and shunned him out of the 12. He could have viewed this coming pain in light of what is seen rather than in light of what is unseen, the glory that awaits.

But, no, Jesus didn’t view this in light of the pain, He viewed it in light of the Father’s plan and your salvation. Jesus still led. He still humbled himself. He still washed feet, and even in calling Judas out did so with decorum and the right attitude.

Jesus could have dramatically thrown a fit if you will, and we could look at that and say “yeah, makes sense.” But, He didn’t. He kept a right attitude.

Which means that you and I must follow this example, even when the world is falling around us. That doesn’t mean you can’t break down, that doesn’t mean you can’t struggle. But that does mean you must approach the situations you face in life with an attitude of thankfulness. A right attitude that says “Shew, this is awful, this hurts, but God is working something great from it.”

Jesus has a right attitude that said “Shew, this is awful, this hurts, and it is about to hurt a lot more, but the Father is working something great from it for the least of these.”

Jesus wasn’t even keeping that attitude because the Father was working something for His good, but for ours!

Oh, if we could but have the right attitude of Jesus that looks at our pain in the light of eternity and the good of our brother!

A right attitude cannot happen unless a right, eternal, selfless perspective leads the way. This is the model of our Savior.

Action

And, when our eternal and selfless perspective leads to a right attitude, we can then see clearly enough to act thankfully, not our of a fake performance, but out of a genuine love and thankfulness for God.

Luke 22:14-22

When the hour had come, Jesus gave thanks. Jesus served. Jesus went to the cross.

He did all of this with YOU on His mind. He was thankful to the Father for this last meal. He was thankful to the Father for his faithful disciples. He was thankful to the Father that from the moment of the cross on, you and I could obtain easy salvation.

Jesus put action to faith. Jesus put action to thankfulness.

Church, this is what we are called to when the scriptures so clearly call for thankful hearts. To see events with the perspective of Jesus, to have the attitude of Jesus, and when we do that, then our thankfulness can take root in our lives and more and more easily we can put action to our thankfulness.

Jesus had a perspective that saw these events in light of eternity for you. He had an attitude that washed feet while he prepared for the cross. Jesus had actions that testified to His thankfulness to the Father.

You will never be able to be thankful if you are unwilling to view your pains in the selfless light of eternity and those around you. You will never be thankful if you are unwilling to choose an attitude that puts others first. You will never be thankful if you are unwilling to allow those things to shape your actions.

Your actions flow from your attitude and your attitude flows from your perspective.

Circumstance cannot determine our level of thankfulness, but our perspective on our circumstances can.

And that perspective must drive our attitude and that attitude must drive our actions!