Tunnel Vision

By F. D. Adkins

Well, it’s here. I can’t believe it, but this week is Thanksgiving. So, in case you didn’t guess already, this post is about my Bible study and reflection on being thankful. The Bible is full of verses about giving thanks to God, but the first verse that came to my mind as I began thinking about this topic was 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (KJV). I love this verse because it reminds me that no matter what is happening in my life, I need to give thanks and praise to God. The verse doesn’t say to give thanks when I feel like it or when everything is all smooth sailing. It says, “in everything.” And notice that this is not merely a suggestion. The words that follow this command detail that “this is the will of God…”.

So, if God commands it, why do we often find ourselves grumbling and struggling to be grateful? It seems that the smallest thing can go wrong, and for some reason, that one bump in the road or that one thing we don’t have or can’t afford is all we see. Well, to answer this question, I am going to travel back in time for my Bible study… way back… all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
Picture the scene. Adam and Eve live in this beautiful garden. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. Large colorful flowers dot their midst, and enormous trees with humongous fruit surround them. They can eat all they want of any of the fruit from any of the trees except one. Look at what God tells them in Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV). “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it…”

Sunshine, flowers, trees, singing birds, amazing animals, and all they can eat anytime they want. Those two are in paradise living the dream.

BUT THEN… the snake shows up with his sly mind games. He shifts Eve’s focus off all the beautiful fruit trees in the garden that God has given to them to eat from “freely” (Genesis 2:16) to the one and only tree that they are not allowed to eat from.
Friends, the enemy doesn’t want us to give thanks to God. He wants to take our eyes off our blessings. Sometimes, when things are going bad, it’s hard not to wallow in our hardship. And on this earth, some face much greater hardships, obstacles, and loss than others. But God’s will is for us to give thanks in “every thing.” If you read the blog post about my grandmother, you know the hardships and great loss she suffered. But even in her tragedies, she kept her faith strong… and she got on her knees… and she gave thanks.

Now, for a quick story… but don’t worry. It has a point.

One day when my daughter was little (maybe five years old), we were in the car, and out of the blue, she says, “Mommy, I sure am glad that Eve ate that apple.”
Well, you can imagine my confusion at her statement, so I had to ask. “Oh, and why is that?”
“Because if she hadn’t, snakes would have legs, and it would be creepy if a snake came running through the yard.”

I doubt that any of us are thankful that Eve ate the fruit, which by the way, we do not know to have been an apple. But, just as my daughter found something to be thankful for in this story, if we stop for a moment and take off those tunnel vision glasses that the enemy has thrust on our faces, we will find much to be thankful for. And if we still find ourselves struggling and wanting to grumble, let’s think of the cross. Let’s remember the Savior that gave His life for you and for me. And let’s give thanks.