Sunday's Message - Thankful People Are...Relaxed

As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re going to look at some of the characteristics of thankful people. During four of our November worship services, we’ll focus on the following topics:

• Sunday, October 31 – Thankful People Are...Humble
• Sunday, November 6 – Thankful People Are...Open
• Sunday, November 13 – Thankful People Are...Relaxed
• Sunday, November 20 – Thankful People Are...Compassionate

During the third message, we focused on the statement: Thankful people are relaxed.

As y’all may remember, a couple of weeks ago we started a new sermon series entitled, Thankful People Are...., and this was the plan. During the four Sundays before Thanksgiving, which is now eleven days away, we were going to look at four characteristics that I believe we find in thankful people. And so, during the first message, we considered humility, and we talked about why thankful people are humble and at how we might work a little more humility into our own lives by rejecting the arrogant message that comes from our society and by recognizing both our strengths and our weaknesses and by realizing that we really do need one another. And then last week, we looked at openness, and in particular, at why thankful people generally have a pretty broad perspective and at how we might become more open ourselves, you know, by broadening our vision and our expectations and our experiences. Now that’s what we done to this point.

And this morning, we’re going to look at an attitude related to giving thanks,  and it just so happens to be the same one that Aaron Rogers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers for now, encouraged the fans to have way back in 2014 right after the Pack started the season 1 and 2. 

You see, this morning we’re going to talk about R-E-L-A-X, and I’ll tell you why. Right along with being humble and open, I think thankful people are also relaxed. 

And you know, being relaxed, man, that might be more challenging than being humble or open. I mean, while we can decide to show some humility and openness, whether or not we worry, well, that generally has a lot to do with what’s happening around us, right? And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s true even if you’re not putting almost everything you own on a truck in eight days and watching it drive down the road to “who knows where.” No, regardless of the situation, often feeling relaxed is pretty hard for us to do even at the best of times. Let me give you an example. Imagine that you’re finally sitting down after a hard day at work, just trying to chill, maybe waiting for supper. The chair is comfortable; the air is still and warm; and you can feel the stress of the day sort of melting away. And then all-of-a-sudden, POW, you get hit by something you didn’t expect. And any possibility of chillin seems as remote as putting shaving cream on our pumpkin pie by mistake. Let’s just say that relaxing is hard to pull off. And yet, because I believe it’s one of those things that enables us to be thankful, it may be worth the effort.

And that’s what we’re going to look at this morning, namely the relationship between thanksgiving and being relaxed. And just like we’ve done the last couple of weeks, we’ll focus on two questions. First, why are thankful people generally relaxed? And second, how might we become a little more relaxed in our own lives? 

And you know, just like we saw when we were talking about humility and openness, I think we can get a handle on why thankful folks are also relaxed by comparing them with men and women on the other extreme, and I’m talking about people who tend to worry. And to be completely honest with y’all, I know more about these worriers than I probably should, because my wife, well, she’s married to one. “Hello, my name is Ed, and I’m a worry wart.” Now that’s not exactly easy to admit, but it’s true. You see, when something stressful is looming in the near future, you know, like moving your stuff or selling your house, I tend to worry about it, because I’m not getting the answers I want when I want them, and I want them right now. I just can’t seem to wait patiently. Instead, my mind starts racing, and I find myself going through all the reasons why whatever’s coming up is going to be a problem. And trust me, no delusion is too remote or conspiracy too bizarre. And instead of getting my eight hours every night, I get about five, because I really need at least three hours a day to worry about all those pies that are going to hit me in the face when I’m least expecting them. Now that’s what I end up doing, and what’s obviously missing is spending anytime counting my blessings, right? I’ll tell you, feeling worried and giving thanks is a lot like oil and vinegar. 

But you know, I don’t think that’s the case with those who are able to feel relaxed. And again, I know that from personal experience, because I’m married to a person who registers pretty close to a “zero” on the worry meter. I mean, while I’m like in a constant state of agitation, Debbie is really patient. You see, she’s willing to wait for a resolution. And because of that, she has an amazing ability to stay calm. My gosh, while I’m imagining all the reasons why something might go wrong and all the horrible things that’s going to happen when it does, Debbie is right there saying to me the same sort of thing Jesus said to his disciples: “I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” [John 14:27, CEV] In fact, she sounds an awful lot like another twenty-first century philosopher we talked about a little while ago. 

Now that’s my wife. And I’ll tell you, as it is with other men and women who can relax, she’s patient enough to wait for the blessings and calm enough to offer thanks. And you know, that’s why I believe thankful people are relaxed.

And I’ll tell you, this is the reason that finding some relaxation may be pretty important especially as we approach Thanksgiving Day. And I think it’s possible, you know, to become more relaxed and thankful by simply remembering three things. 

For example, first, we can remember that worry is an unnecessary distraction. In other words, not only is being all anxious and troubled and uneasy, not only is all that a big, fat waste of time and energy, worry can also distract us from all those reasons we have to give thanks each and every day. Of course, I’m not sure anyone described the sheer futility of worry better than Jesus Christ himself. Remember, he said this to his disciples during his Sermon on the Mount: 

I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?

Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. [Matthew 6:25-29, CEV]

Now that’s what he said, and frankly, I think he could have said “Dah” after every question. A worrier gains nothing but ulcers. It’s a waste of time. And to why it can also be a distraction, listen to what else Jesus said:

Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. [Matthew 6:31-33, CEV]

I’ll tell you, no matter how you cut it, worrying is both unnecessary and distracting, and if we want to relax more, that’s one thing I think we need to remember.

And second, I also believe we need to remember that our destiny is in God’s hands, and I’m talking about his loving and merciful hands. You see, God just plain loves us and is leading us into the future. But let me be clear, I’m not saying that God has given us some kind of “Get Out of Pain” free card or that we can expect to sort of float through life with all the flowers and none of the thorns. That’s definitely not what I’m saying, because I hope y’all know that would just be a lot of baloney. Still, having said that, I do believe that God loves us, and since that love wasn’t something we earned, it’s not something that we can lose. It’s like Apostle Paul described in what’s probably my favorite passage in the entire Bible:

Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! [Romans 8:35, 37-39, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote, and frankly, when he said “nothing,” I think that’s exactly what he meant. You see, this is the one who holds our destiny in his hands. And what’s that destiny going to be like? Listen to what John of Patmos saw and described in his Revelation:

I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.

I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever. [Revelation 21:1-4, CEV]

You see, this is the future; this is our future. And if we’re serious about worrying less and relaxing more, I think this is the second thing we might need to remember. 

And third, right along with remembering that worry is a waste and that we have good reason for hope, we can also remember that we can only do our best. We can only do the best we can with what we’ve got. We just can’t do better than our best. My gosh, God knows it, and so should we. In other words, I think it’s important to remember that even though the Psalmist wrote about us saying, “You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor.” [Psalm 8:5, CEV], I think operative word here is “lower.” We are not perfect, and if that comes as a blow to your ego, I’m sorry. It’s like what Paul wrote to the Romans: 

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life’s blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. [Romans 3:23-26, CEV]

Now that’s who we are, a jumble of weaknesses and strengths, of limitations and possibilities. But instead of dwelling on our weaknesses and worrying about our limitations, we have the opportunity to take the jumble and to put it to good use. And I’ll tell you, this is the same kind of thing John the Baptist told those who came to him:

The crowds asked John, “What should we do?”

John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”

When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?”

John told them, “Don’t make people pay more than they owe.”

Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”

John told them, “Don’t force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.” [Luke 3:10-14, CEV]

You see, despite our personal limitations, we all can still do something. And for that reason, we can stop worrying about those things we can’t and claim our very best in order to accomplish what we can. And again, if we want to relax more, I think this is the third thing we can remember.

You know, when you get right down to it, Aaron Rogers was right. We’d all be better off if we could just R-E-L-A-X. And I’ll tell you, since I think our ability and willingness to be thankful rises as our worries drop, we have an excellent reason to chill just a little bit, starting right now. And this is something I believe we’re able to do when we remember that worry is an unnecessary distraction and that our destiny is in God’s loving and merciful hands and that we can only do our best. This we can remember. And I’ll tell you, doing that kind of thing seems really appropriate this time of year, because I believe thankful people are relaxed.