Thanksgiving

“It is more venomous than a viper’s tooth to have an unthankful child”. William Shakespeare.

One of the most grievous sins in the Bible is to be unthankful to God. Paul clarified God’s position on it:

“Because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened…Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:” (Rom. 1: 21-24)

It is not because God likes praise singing; however, as the creator of value, He deserves appreciation. And come to think of it; God is infinite in everything: omniscient, He can’t be wiser, omnipotent, He can’t be more powerful; so great, He can’t be greater; He owns everything. There is nothing else to achieve and nothing to look up to. Though God is self-sufficient; His nature is love. Well, love is a giver and must be appreciated.

An unthankful person is a drainage; an expert receiver but a miserable miser. Today, we advocate human rights but deny divine rights. But when people refuse God’s rights to be thanked, He too gives them up to unclean spirits. It is therefore, unclean and criminal to be unthankful to God. An unthankful soul is a bitter soul; in the contrary, a grateful soul is always buoyant and full of the uncommon joy of the Lord that flows from the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Silas were thankful when only God could expect them to sing and He responded with a guided earthquake that flung open the bar gates of the dungeon. No Christian has the right to be unthankful no matter the situation. The book of 1 Thess. 5: 18 says:  “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”. History shows that the more people have, the more they take it for granted, and the more unthankful they become. God said through Malachi that this results in cursed blessings:

“And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you. 2If you will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart” (Malachi 2: 1-2).

I advise you write down now every area in your life that you are not happy about and try to make lemonade from these lemons. Turn them into God’s praise and thank Him for them. Do what Paul and Silas did because we are commanded to give thanks in every situation. As long as we give thanks to God, we cannot be the loser and our blessings will not be cursed.