Holiness: Set Apart to Give Thanks to God

“You are encompassed with ten thousand mervies,
let these sink you into humble thankfulness.”
John Wesley, 1777

A happy and holy Thanksgiving to you on this day set apart to give thanks to God for his provision. Whether you’re celebrating with family, or friends, or taking time for yourself, we have all been touched by the mercy of God and his goodness toward us. 

This past Sunday was Christ the King Sunday, a celebration of Christ’s triumphant role as King over all. He conquered sin and death and rose on the third day that we might be set free to live lives of holiness, lives marked by the wholeness that he alone can bring. For this, we can truly be thankful. 

Next Sunday is the beginning of Advent, that season often overlooked amidst the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, but one not to miss. Advent is a commemoration of the comings of Christ. And yes, I meant for that to be plural. 

Christ came as the child of the manger, God incarnate, God one of us. He “emptied himself of all but love,” as Charles Wesley wrote. And he did this for you. 

He comes to us now through the means of grace, through prayer, Holy Communion, and encounter in Scripture. He is with us. 

And he will come again in glory, to be our judge, to set things right, and to bring about the completion of the new creation that he started when God raised him from the dead. He desires our wholeness, now and forever (1 Thess. 4:3).

We have so much to be thankful for. 

It may sound strange to be thankful that God will come to be our judge, but you are in Christ. You are, as St. Paul said, a new creation already (2 Cor. 5:17). That work has begun in you and God is faithful to bring it to completion (1 Thess. 5:24). 

God’s judgement is mirrored by his mercy. And those who are in Christ, those whom Christ died to save, need not fear the judgement. His faithfulness to us in unbounded. And thankfulness is appropriate in this too.

As I reflect on the year past, I’m thankful for so many things. I’m thankful for family even as I live and work so far from them. I’m thankful for friends who show me the goodness of Christ on a daily basis. And I’m thankful for the work that God has allowed us to do through the John Wesley Institute, through your support, your prayers, and your guidance. 

I’m thankful for the Church. To be a part of the Body of Christ is a true blessing; linked to Christ and so many faithful both now and through the ages by the waters of baptism (1 Cor. 12:13). 

I hope that you’re able to take time today or even this week to ponder the goodness of God. Thankfulness will be in order.

Ryan N. Danker is director of the John Wesley Institute, Washington, DC. This is reposted from a weekly JWI newsletter that you can subscribe to here.