For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (I Timothy 4:4)
In one of my favorite passages of John Calvin’s Institutes, the supposedly dour reformer points out how God’s blessings not only in providing for our needs, but in giving us pleasure: “Now then, if we consider for what end he created food, we shall find that he consulted not only for our necessity, but also for our enjoyment and delight. Thus, in clothing, the end was, in addition to necessity, comeliness and honour; and in herbs, fruits, and trees, besides their various uses, gracefulness of appearance and sweetness of smell.”
This passage is a helpful corrective for us, a reminder that God is not a cosmic hall-monitor, waiting to crush anyone who is having too much fun. God is the source of these gifts that bring us so much pleasure, as Paul writes in his letter to Timothy, all things made by God are good and to be enjoyed – with gratitude.
Enjoying Gods gifts with thanksgiving means, among other things, enjoying them within the bounds of His intent. That is they gifts are enjoyed and used but not abused. What a wonderfully joyful restraint – we can take pleasure in what God has given us without idolizing those gifts, becoming greedy, or being controlled by those gifts. If I am thankful to God, God remains above the gift. If I am thankful, I don’t have an unsatisfiable hunger for more. If I am thankful, I receive God’s gifts freely. Our gratitude is a good test of how healthy our relationship is with our possessions, our work, our family, and everything else God provides for us. A lack of gratitude is often a sign of self-righteousness, idolatry, or abuse. True gratitude keeps the gift subordinate to the giver and shows the gift is enjoyed within the boundaries of God’s intentions.
The other aspect I like about this passage from Calvin is that is shows the inherit goodness of pleasurable experiences. We gather around turkey and dressing every year and we share what we’re grateful for. We list the things we know we should to be thankful for: our family, our freedoms, our health. Indeed we are, and should be, thankful for these things. Families are a blessing. We should be thankful or our nation’s freedom and character. Anyone who has gone through a sickness will quickly tell you how grateful they are for good health. But it’s OK to be grateful for a good game of golf, for laughter with friends, or for a good Rock album. While it might seem shallow to list the pleasure we get from watching our favorite ball team with the blessings of our Church family, I believe it is good for us to thank God for these simple pleasures, to show appreciation that God doesn’t just provide what is necessary, but for what makes life so enjoyable. I encourage you this Thanksgiving to share your gratitude for the rich blessings of family and health, but to also give thanks for the lesser joys of life and for a God who doesn’t just want you to not be hungry, but to enjoy a panorama of flavors and smells because of His lavish love.