The Finest Sentiment
Someone once said, “Thankfulness could well be the finest sentiment of man and also the rarest”. Could that be true? Is a lack of thankfulness a common human failing?
All one has to do, is to look back in history and we can clearly see the validity of the statement. In Romans chapter 1, we read, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20-21). The first couple knew God on a one-on-one basis. That He was God was not even a question in their minds. Given that, why did they choose to dishonor Him through their disobedience? Well, as the Apostle Paul said, they were not thankful. We can clearly deduce, then, that an absence of thankfulness to God promotes thankfulness to self or someone other than God. Futile thoughts – the wisdom of this world – are what ensues.
The wisdom of this world — Satan’s wisdom – is as dangerous as it is deceptive. “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). The worldly-wise dig their own pit and fall into it. Adam and Eve separated themselves from God in their lack of thankfulness, as have we all since. We each know what it is like to be caught in our own craftiness, which is exactly why our Father so much desires that we learn the wisdom found in genuine gratitude to Him.
To the Thessalonians, the apostle wrote, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is God’s will for us to be thankful to Him in all things – regardless of the circumstance being pleasant or not. The wisdom of thankfulness is expressed in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”. Both the pleasant and difficult circumstances work to our ultimate good. Such wisdom is humbling indeed. It reminds us that we are not the arbiters of our own destiny, which is the unwitting deception that the first couple swallowed in the garden.
If it is to be found anywhere, thankfulness should be a discernable fruit within the body of Christ! A humble gratitude toward God is an awesome sentiment to behold and an awesome sentiment to be a part of. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:15-17).
Marshall Stiver
