Thanksgiving Post: Selfishness is Faithlessness

“That’s not fair” has become my three year old son’s favorite phrase.  He undoubtedly learned the saying from his older brother, who probably learned it from a peer.  While he learned the phrase from another, his desire to stand up for his rights was developed all by himself.  It is both comical and disheartening to watch my children fight diligently to make sure they don’t get “the short end of the stick.” 

I can’t really throw stones, can I?  My self advocacy might not be as obvious, but it is no less prevalent.  We’re all guilty of it, aren't we?  I've seen the most literal of Sola Scriptura Christians easily and quickly dismiss the example of the church of Acts in chapter 2 with a “why would I give away my stuff, I earned it!’  We are a selfish people living in a selfish world.  It might be why the majority of “givers” in our church tithe (and I use that word WAY to loosely) less than one percent. 

Why do we struggle so much with this?  Why are we so selfish?  Is it just because we are so wicked?  I propose that this is not the case (and yes, I know all about the doctrine of original sin).  We can go into the ridiculous lifestyles we live and our insane idea of what our needs are (most of which are actually wants) and we can rebuttal that our less selfish ancestors were more generous because “back in the day” able bodied workers making a living was almost a guarantee. 

And that gets to the heart of it doesn't it.  Greed is about looking out for me, because I don’t have faith (or trust) that my needs will be met otherwise.  The implications are huge; I am selfish because I don’t trust God.  My three year old son is obsessed with making sure he gets a fair shake because he thinks (in part) that he will not be taken care of otherwise.  What a crappy thing to learn and such a young age!

This is what makes the Thanksgiving holiday (and more importantly, a spirit/heart of thanksgiving) so important.  Thanksgiving helps us spend time reflecting on God's faithfulness allowing us to place our trust in Him and acknowledge His faithfulness.  If I truly trust in God and believe that He is faithful than I don’t need to fight for myself, I don’t need to be greedy, and I don’t need to worry about things “being fair.”  So during this season of Thanksgiving let us take seriously the task of helping our children and the young people of our church reflect on God’s faithfulness revealed in their past so that they can gain perspective and learn to trust in Him.