Is thankfulness an option or an act of obedience?

How could being thankful be an act of obedience?    After all, isn't being thankful an option? These are good questions. 

Whether or not we are thankful for the things that occur in our lives may be optional, but for the believer in Jesus, it is not an option.  When Paul wrote his first letter to the church at Thessalonika, he finished the letter with a flurry of what I like to call screen door admonitions.  It reminds me of being a child when mom would be running out the door on an errand when, before closing the screen door, she would give a series of rapid-fire reminders to get done before she returned.

In a similar way, Paul is giving this church a series of short command-reminders as he closes his first epistle.  One of these commands focuses on the art of being grateful.  The apostle  says in 5:18,

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

Did you notice a couple of things here?  First, this statement is not formed in the verbiage of optional behavior.  It is stated in the imperative voice demonstrating  it is a command, not an option.  Now if you have ever served in the military or even been raised in a disciplined home environment you know what it means to receive a command.  Obedience is absolutely required!  There can be no question about that.  Consequently, God is saying something to us here that has broad reaching effects for the Christian.  

The second thing that sticks out here is the scope of our thankfulness.  The text says all circumstances.  That can be a tough one!  But after all, if God works all things together for good for those who love God, we can be assured that whether our circumstances are pleasant or painful, God is always in control and knows best what we need to become conformed to look like Jesus.

The third point that sticks out in the text is perhaps the most noticeable.  It says that being thankful is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Wow!  There are very few texts which use this language but we need to be keenly aware of them when see them.  If God's will for us is to have thankful hearts, then it must be a crucial feature of the victorious Christian life.  Be admonished today to stop complaining and questioning God's work in your walk with Him.  In the audience of one, be grateful that God is actually working all things together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Grow Spiritually This Summer!

Growing is not normally something we give alot of thought to....most of the time.  After all, everything God has created appears to grow naturally, especially weeds!  However, in the Christian life there are growing conditions which need to be understood in order for maximum spiritual growth to happen without the weeds.   I've known Christians in my life who have grown almost exponentially from the moment they believed on Christ.  Sometimes they grew so fast it was hard to keep up with them.  Then I have known other believers who appeared to have restraints on their spiritual growth.  What's the difference?  Usually it has to do with the type of person the Spirit of God is working on. One good way to explain this is by using Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed.  In this parable there are four soils; the pathway, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and finally the good soil.  In the Lord's interpretation of the parable, the only soil which produces fruit is in the &q
Read more

What is God Doing?

The world is reeling right now as we speak.  Drought, wild fires, lawlessness, crime,  gas prices, and economic hardship are throttling the planet.  .  So just what is really happening?  What is God doing and why is He allowing all of this now?  These are legitimate questions and they are not out of the realm of possible answers or solutions.  The fact is that God uses these very issues to get the attention of the world as well as the attention of His people.   If we are honest we must admit that our world is fallen, wicked. and off course.  Mankind is sick and the world is estranged from God because of our determination to forge a world without Him.  This is not anything new and God is not going to sit idly by indefinitely while the world careens off the paths of His will for creation. Many today are wondering what all of these events have to do with the book of Revelation and the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy concerning the Second  coming of Christ back to earth as He told us.
Read more

It has been Written...............

We are well aware that there is a lot that goes on in the name of Christianity that is far from our Biblically-based faith.  I spend a lot of time teaching in developing nations (some not developing), and it is amazing what passes for Christianity in some places.  For example, because of the systemic poverty that abounds in Africa, the prosperity gospel (PG) movement is alive and well. The prosperity gospel, as it is commonly called, promises wealth to those who cannot even buy clothes for their children or send them to school.  The lies of this theology don't come near to what God teaches us in His Word about our stewardship of money and material things, and yet impoverished people will hold out with desperation that it just might work for them to bring them wealth.  It is truly one of life's saddest spectacles, not just for the victims, but for how the Scriptures are cheapened and misused in this process. Jesus said “ It is Written”  on several occasions to those who had
Read more