Are you not feeling very thankful right now? Perhaps there are some of you who have been laid off, or struggling with health issues, or mourning the death of a loved one. To be in these situations can be very difficult. But even so, we still have a lot to be thankful for. Let me tell you the story of a man who should have been very angry and resentful, but he wasn’t.
This man was unjustly accused and was put in prison. His prison cell was dark, cold and damp. He had no bed to sleep on; only the stone floor. Each time he hears footsteps approaching his prison cell, he wonders if this could the time when the guards would take him to his execution. If there was ever someone who had a reason to complain, it was this man. But instead of complaining, he continually praised and gave thanks to God. This man was Paul the Apostle.
To the Ephesians, he wrote: “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)
To the Thessalonians, he wrote: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
His message was to give thanks for everything — no matter what kind of situation you are in! To be thankful is not reserved only for special occasions, but it should be done daily and in every situation!
One day in church, while I was working in my office, a man came in. He was obviously poor and needy – and deaf. He had a handwritten note which read that he needed food, warm clothing and some money for the train. I remembered I still had a bag of rolls and some cookies, so I brought them to him. I also knew that there were clothes leftover from the garage sale. I pulled out a couple of clothes from a bag and it turned out to be a sweater and a jacket. I quickly brought it to him. Finally, I gave him some money for the bus and train. Using sign language, he made a gesture of thanks. Then he left. I saw him put on the jacket in the parking lot – it was a perfect fit. He was thankful that he got what he wanted, and I was thankful that I was able to give it to him. In the end, we were both thankful. The whole thing played out so well – the timing was perfect.
Unfortunately, ingratitude is very common. There are children who don’t thank their parents for what they have, and instead they complain about everything. There are husbands and wives who don’t thank each other, and instead think that their spouse owes them so much. There are people who think that they are entitled to everything, and therefore they think that everything should be given to them for free.
Ingratitude is a sin. An ungrateful heart is a cold heart – a heart that has turned cold because of selfishness, or greed, or even sloth. It is a heart that is no longer attuned to God.
There are so many things we can be thankful for: material blessings, family, friends and relatives, freedom and peace. But most of all, we ought to be thankful to God for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. God has given us the greatest Gift of all — His Son, who died on the Cross and rose from the dead so that we can know Him, love Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Above all, this was what Paul the Apostle was thankful for.