In comments made elsewhere I offered some observations regarding the role and priority thankfulness should have in our life. Genuine thankfulness will be marked by an actual expression of it. The following is the substance of those observations.
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Giving thanks and praise unto God is a great part of your calling. There is nothing (including immorality) that is more odious unto God than unthankfulness. When we are unthankful it is a clear sign of spiritual decline. In Romans 1: 21, failure to praise God and be thankful is the first step Paul cites in the moral decline of mankind. By contrast, in Romans 1:8 Paul expresses his thankfulness to God even before making mention of his specific requests! Being thankful is more than just being happy or pleased that you have this or that object. True thankfulness will stir up your heart to give an actual expression of it. |
I’m persuaded that unthankfulness plays a greater role in our lives than it is comfortable to admit. For example, have you ever observed a person giving “lip service” of his/her thankfulness out of one side of their mouth, then griping and complaining over their condition or circumstances out of the other? Why this mixture? Have you been guilty of this? Remember, true thankfulness will stir up your heart to give an actual expression of it even in less than perfect circumstances.
How are we to express our thankfulness? Verbal expression is one obvious way. This is done by prayer and in our conversation with others. Strange though it may be, some have reservations about the need to verbally express their thanks claiming, of all things,"God already knows I'm thankful." However, this deferment of thanks based on what God knows is sure to backfire. You can be certain that God knows such a character is not thankful and is merely attempting to camouflage it. The question of practical value isn't regarding "What God knows", but rather, Are you genuinely thankful? Verbal expression of thankfulness is a duty and ought not be neglected. An unthankful person is odious-- a real stinker! Are you verbally expressing your thankfulness as you ought?
However, if verbal expression is as far as your thankfulness goes then it is possible that it has become little more than “lip service”. If this is the case, then it is likely that your verbal expression of thankfulness is being done merely for appearance or to ease your conscience. The virtue of a person’s thankfulness when accompanied by complaints, bitterness, and fault-finding is questionable. True thankfulness toward God motivates a person to express it by a corresponding act of praise, worship, or service. Genuine thankfulness is best recognized in the person who continues steadfast in their moral and spiritual convictions though pressed hard by external difficulties and hardships. External difficulties come in many forms. Some are health related, other are related to employment, finances, friends, and family.
The question that must be addressed is, Not what form or type of difficulty you are experiencing, but rather, How is it affecting you? Are you so problem centered that you find little or nothing to be thankful for? Does your preoccupation with life’s problems take so much of your time that it has displaced the priority of thankfulness?
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