Fellowship Offering

"If he offers it for a thanksgiving,

then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice

unleavened loaves mixed with oil,

unleavened wafers smeared with oil,

and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil."

Leviticus 7:12

The women were scurrying around in the kitchen, preparing a feast of all the traditional fixin's.  There was tender, roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, savory stuffing, tangy cranberry sauce, sugary sweet potatoes, traditional green bean casserole, steaming-hot rolls followed by an array of pies.  So much time is spent preparing the spread and enjoying the tastes that it's easy to forget why we gather around the table.  The purpose of the holiday is to give thanks to God.

President Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of a bloody civil war, issued a proclamation on October 3, 1863 at the request of the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, Sarah Josepha Hale to "set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."  It was his intention to nationalize a previously local celebration first established by President Washington so that all American hearts would annually be turned toward the Lord and all He so mercifully provides.

The Israelites were given a similar rite to help them turn their hearts toward God's goodness as He blessed them in so many ways.  They were given the option of presenting to the Lord a fellowship offering as an expression of thankfulness for His provision.  How can I do the same, especially as I prepare for the upcoming American holiday of Thanksgiving?

Attitude

I woke up dreading the day to come.  Even though I was excited to move to our new location, I knew moving day would be filled with hard work as we loaded all of our belongings onto the moving truck.  Since I had fallen into bed in the wee hours of the morning, I was running on little sleep, adding to my poor outlook.  It seems I couldn't shake this grumpy attitude.

There are many factors that can play into the way I feel about my current circumstances.  Ultimately, though, the way I think or feel about the life God has given me is up to me.  Either I can be grateful for all with which He has blessed me, or I can desire more than what He has supplied.

This reminds me of a story I heard about Mother Teresa.  In 1994 she spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast, recounting the time she cared for a sickly woman she found living on the street.  As she showed the poor soul the love of Christ, placing her gently in bed, the dying woman took hold of the nun's hand and with the most beautiful smile on her face uttered only two words, "Thank you."  Her eyes then closed as she died.  

Mother Teresa was touched by her attitude of gratitude.  Instead of drawing attention to her great needs of hunger, pain relief and poor health, she choose to give her caregiver a dose of grateful love.

There are so many times when I choose to feel sorry for myself and the predicament in which I find myself instead of being thankful for all the good God has given to me.  It is really a matter of my heart.  Paul encourages us to "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16)

I present a kind of fellowship offering to the Lord when I choose an attitude of gratefulness instead of discontent.

Focus

The weeds were everywhere.  I couldn't take my eyes off the jungle of invaders creeping over the ground in my flowerbed.  It was hard to focus on any other chore in the yard until I removed all those weeds.  After I finished the job, I turned my attention toward the roses that had been presiding over my frenzied weeding.  The colors popped from luscious vines as the drops of dew seemed to magnify their beauty.  How did I miss such splendor?  I was focused only on what was wrong with the garden and had completely overlooked all that was good.

This happens often in my life.  The evil and darkness is so obvious in the world in which God has placed me, making it all too easy to focus my attention on everything negative.  If I turn my attention toward the Lord, however, and resolve to look for all the good that He is doing, I might be surprised at what I find. (James 1:17)

Instead of seeing only the couples who are divorcing right and left, I will begin to notice the marriages that are thriving against all odds.  When it is easy to adopt a spirit of despair based on the rowdy behavior of the children in my Sunday School class, I may be surprised at the fruit God is growing when I turn my attention toward their hearts.  In the place of focusing on the wrong that seems so obvious in my country's culture, I will find much for which to praise God when I look for the good that is just beneath the surface.

If I look for the evil, dark and sinful in the location which God has placed me, I will find it.  If, however, I choose to turn my attention toward the goodness that comes from God, I will discover much treasure in which to encourage my heart and pour out in gratitude to my gracious Father.  (1 Timothy 4:4, Proverbs 11:27)   

I present a kind of fellowship offering to the Lord when I turn my attention toward the good that God is doing all around me.

Training

As my children were growing up, it was easy for them to take the good things people offered.  What was not so natural, however, was for them to express their gratitude for gifts given to them.  It took regular reminders to train my daughters to say, "Thank you."

In the same way, I can't expect gratitude to come naturally.  It takes intention and a sense of purpose to train myself to give thanks in the way God has in mind.  (Philippians 4:6)  It may be fairly easy to feel grateful when I receive a raise in my paycheck, an unexpected gift, or good health.  It takes practice, however, to give thanks to God for the times of struggle, the let down that comes when I don't receive what I expected, or the unfavorable diagnosis.  

Since God is a good God and I am His child through faith in Jesus Christ, I can rest in the knowledge that the hard stuff in my life will be used to bring about good. (Romans 8:28)  It may not be the kind of good that I am used to categorizing as beneficial, but it will, nonetheless, be exactly the good He deems as best for me.

Therefore, I can trust God enough when money is low to thank Him for the little, knowing the struggle is not without reason.  I can also thank Him for the pain that keeps me humble enough to realize it is not I who sets the agenda for my life.  I can even thank God for the unthinkable, keeping my faith in a God who has a master plan of which I know nothing. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I present a kind of fellowship offering to the Lord when I intentionally choose to thank God for all His goodness.

At this time of year, many people are talking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  As I prepare for the big day, however, it is my intention to develop an attitude of gratefulness toward the God who loves me enough to sacrifice His only Son for my benefit, to purposefully look for the good He is doing all around me, and to train myself to give thanks even when it seems there is nothing for which to be grateful.  In doing these things, I am presenting a kind of fellowship offering to a loving, gracious Father who knows how to give good gifts.  (Matthew 7:11)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look for all the good God is doing.

When do I focus more on the bad that rises to the surface of my consciousness?

How can I make the effort today to thank God for the good things for which I must search?