THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING.
By Editor
HOW many there are who seem not to have any kind of thanksgiving at all. Daily, hourly, momently, they breathe God's air, bask in God's sunshine, eat food and drink water which come by His providence, and yet never lift voice to God in thanksgiving and praise. More and more selfish grows such a heart till it comes to feel that all it receives is by right its own, and gratitude is due to no one. Even so the nations of old went into darkness. Rom. 1:21. Friends and relatives plan and do, but little or no response is elicited in the way of thanksgiving. Of course, there is a certain amount of satisfaction which comes to the most selfish heart when its wishes are gratified. The dog is glad for the bone; the wolf for the lamb. Sometimes the wolfish soul will express his satisfaction at receiving and indulging, but there is no thanksgiving to the giver. For the common every-day blessings, he sometimes feels he has earned them, just as tho the power to work and the privilege of working were not matters to be thankful for. One of the greatest curses which could come to us would be a life of enforced idleness. MUCH of the thanksgiving of this world is selfish. We are glad because our wishes are gratified. Glad that gain has come to us. Glad that we do not have to suffer. Now, all this is right in a measure if the gladness, the thankfulness, does not stop there. In most cases it is based on a feeling of gratitude and kindness toward the giver. In some cases, a spirit of envy takes the place of that of gratitude. THE true spirit of Christian thanksgiving recognizes, first of all, that all good gifts are from God. He may have used other agencies in imparting His blessings and gifts to us, and we honor them for the Master's sake and for the Spirit of the Master that is in them; but the Author of all the good is God, and our deepest gratitude should go out to Him. He it is who should be constantly remembered for all the constant, common blessings of life; He it is that should be remembered for all the extraordinary gifts and blessings which come to us. Thus recognizing God's goodness, we will come to see more and more blessings in all He sends or permits to come to us. THE true spirit of Christian thanksgiving recognizes also that we are unworthy before God of all His blessings. We may be as worthy as others; but that is not the question. We are unworthy of the least of all God's mercies before Him. A proper sense of His goodness and our unworthiness will lead us to make a right use of His gifts. Our hearts will go out to our fellowmen. We will see and know that we are blessed, that we may be blessings; that others are deprived of blessings which are bestowed upon us, in order that we may share the greater blessing of Infinite Love in imparting to them. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul [literally, "the soul of blessing"] shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." THE only true, lasting joy in receiving is to become a channel for God's gifts to reach others. The water of life held in our heart grows stagnant and putrid and poison. But open the gates of our heart and let even its selfish blessings flow out for others' needs, and the water of life from God's fountain comes pouring in and through, cleansing and vitalizing and enlarging our own heart, and creating within us a joy never before known and which can be found in no other way. If the wealthy and well-to-do in this land on this Thanksgiving Day would seek out the poor and needy around them, and let flow on them some of the blessings which a bountiful and generous Providence has bestowed upon them, it would be one of the happiest days they ever enjoyed. Thus would they come into living connection with the great Fountain of life. And if the poor, yea, the poorest, if he could do no more than pray for his neighbor, would do that, his heart would enlarge, and God would come in with added blessing. Cherish the true spirit of thanksgiving. Give, hoping for nothing. Thus did God. Receive to pass it on to others. Thus you keep living connection with Him. "That man may last, but never lives
Who much receives, but nothing gives,
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,—
Creation's blot, creation's blank." But he who day by day keeps open the channels of life, finds blessing all the way. The very curses of his enemies will be turned to blessing.