NOT Thankful

Posted by Alan Knox on Nov 23, 2010 in discipleship | 1 comment

Thankfulness… thanking God… I thank God for many things… most things… sometimes… even usually.

I have to be honest… I’m not thankful to God for all things.

I’m not.

I want to be.

But I’m not.

Maybe it’s not that important that I be thankful for all things…

…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… (Ephesians 5:20 ESV)

[D]o not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you… (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

Ok. So, maybe it is important to be thankful for all things. But, I must also be honest with myself (and with God and with others) that I’m not thankful for all things. I’m not even thankful for all people. I’m not thankful for all circumstances or events. Sometimes, if I’m completely honest, I’m not thankful for anything at all.

But, since I kept reading passages about thankfulness, I found a passage that mirrors my thankfulness very well:

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ (Luke 18:11-12 ESV)

Finally… a passage about thankfulness that I can completely support!