Give Thanks

I am taking a class on the letter of James. Today we discussed James 1:9-11:  "Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away."

We talked about how this passage suggests a leveling effect that comes from being in the church. Those who are humble will be elevated, and those who are wealthy will be lowered. Our discussion reminded me of the song "Give Thanks":

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ, his son

And now, let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord has done for us

And now, let the strong say, "I am weak"
Let the rich say, "I am poor"
Because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks

Whenever I would sing this song at Southeast Church of the Nazarene, I would identify with the strong and rich. After all, I was earning a bachelor's degree, giving me distinction over many in the congregation and in the world.

I would feel strange singing "I am weak, I am poor because of what the Lord has done for us." Being proud of weakness and poverty is not generally encouraged in most cultures. But through the Spirit, I have journeyed into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and his church, and through this movement I have become weak and poor. I have become one with members of Christ's body who are weaker and poorer than me. God has changed me and I have changed, and God continues to change me and I continue to change, into a person who seeks and who wants to seek not wealth, fame, and control, but the kingdom of God, the rule of simplicity, humility, trust, and love.

At the same time that I am strong and rich, I am also weak and poor. For example, I owe money in student loans. Yet Christ has given me strength and riches. Through God's people I have learned and continue to learn to walk with integrity, to live boldly, to trust that I have all that I need, and that God will provide what I need.

James teaches that God is the giver of all good things. "Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (1:17). When I think about the good gifts God has given and continues to give me, in a variety of forms including experiences, people, food, and shelter, I realize that I am very rich.

The song tells us to give thanks because God has given to us Jesus Christ. In the context of this song, it seems that we give thanks for Jesus because Jesus has caused the reversal between poor and rich. Jesus has taught us how to live in God's reign. Jesus has blessed the poor, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted. Jesus has become poor so that we may become rich with compassion and mercy. Jesus has emptied himself and filled us with life and joy.

I have a long road ahead of me in living fully in the life of God in Christ. But "Give Thanks" and James' words dare me to step into the life of God. For God's meeting, welcoming, and calling me in Jesus, I give thanks. For Jesus' making me weak and strong, and poor and rich, as much as I don't understand it and as incomplete as the journey is, I give thanks. For the many other gifts God has given and continues to give, I give thanks.