Give Thanks

Jesus is about to feed 5000 people with a small boy’s lunch. And he gives thanks.

Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. And he gives thanks.

Paul encourages God’s family to seek God in all situations with prayer, petition, and thanksgiving.

Paul encourages God’s family to be thankful in everything, not for everything. If we were thankful for everything, then we should be thankful for every evil, heinous thing that ever happens. Every atrocity. Every act of cruelty. All selfishness and sin.

God designed, and created, the world, so he would have a love relationship with people. The primary characteristic of relationship with God with people was intended to be love. That was God’s heart. Hatred, and evil, were not in the plans. We do not need to be thankful for COVID, economic disruption, loneliness, business failures, or any other fall out.

But we ought to be thankful.

Giving thanks can just be part of the formula, when we pray. But looking at Scripture, I think God intends it to be more. Thanksgiving is intended to be a reorientation, and a refocus, on God’s nature, character, and resources. Giving thanks should have an effect on our hearts. Which should, in turn, affect our perspectives. Which should, in turn, affect our actions.

What we do would be different, if we recognized God wanted a relationship with us, loved us, because we are his children, was always paying attention to us, was always listening to us, and always taking action for us.

Giving thanks ought to remind us of all of this, and what god has done for us already, and therefore, what he is willing, and able, to do. And if we are reminded about who God is, and what he has done, we ought to have confidence to move forward with whatever is happening, because God is moving with us.