Thanksgiving
How fitting that we in Community Bible Study would be discussing Ephesians 5:20 the week before Thanksgiving! I'm going to begin quoting with verse 19:
"...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ".
Do you see the connection between joyfulness and thanksgiving? How can you be overflowing with music if you aren't joyful? How can you complain and be joyful at the same time? Obviously, a grateful attitude overpowers a critical, complaining attitude.
The Apostle Paul gives a list of instructions to the Thessalonians which includes: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). While the verse in Ephesians tells us to thank God for everything, these verses admonish us to give thanks in every situation.
Now, I'll be the first to admit the challenge in that admonition. So I determined to make a conscious effort to express thanksgiving for everything, even those things I take so for granted. My hope is to be so thankful that even in those difficult times that come to all of us, I will be able to rejoice because of my habit of thanksgiving.
I have begun reviewing my day as I lay in bed at night, sometimes writing in my journal before turning out the light. As I do, I thank God for every little thing that entered my life from the morning through the evening. It's amazing how the inconveniences and annoyances of the day just disappear as I focus on all that is good, as I focus on my sovereign God.
The context of these two verses also show that our joy and our thankfulness have a direct bearing on our relationships with others. The list of instructions in Thessalonians begins with "Be at peace among yourselves..., always seek to do good to one another and to everyone" (verses 13 and 15). Ephesians was expressing how we should address one another and concluded with "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (verse 21). And those guidelines precede the well-known passages on husband-wife, parent-child and master-slave (employer-employee) relationships.
Granted, thankfulness is not always easy! I'm sure that's why Paul included "pray without ceasing" in his letter to the Thessalonians. We must study and know God's Word in order to know what God wants of us. And we must spend time in prayer so the Holy Spirit can teach us and convict us and strengthen us to obey. And we must believe God, we must trust in His promises.
We so often quote Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." But do we see it in its context? Do we understand God's definition of "good"?
That well-known and oft-quoted verse follows the teaching on the Spirit's help in our weakness, His intercession for us when we cannot find the words for prayer. And in the verses that follow, we find that we are "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son". So prayer prepares us for anything. And the "good" that results is our conformity to Jesus Christ!
Wow! Don't we all claim to want to be more like our Savior? Do we forget that when trials come? Can we then say, "Thank You, God, for this opportunity to be more like Your Son"? That takes complete trust in God, in His ability to bring us through and to change us for His glory—if only we are willing to submit to His work in us.
And practiced thanksgiving is a great means to submission!
"...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ".
Do you see the connection between joyfulness and thanksgiving? How can you be overflowing with music if you aren't joyful? How can you complain and be joyful at the same time? Obviously, a grateful attitude overpowers a critical, complaining attitude.
The Apostle Paul gives a list of instructions to the Thessalonians which includes: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). While the verse in Ephesians tells us to thank God for everything, these verses admonish us to give thanks in every situation.
Now, I'll be the first to admit the challenge in that admonition. So I determined to make a conscious effort to express thanksgiving for everything, even those things I take so for granted. My hope is to be so thankful that even in those difficult times that come to all of us, I will be able to rejoice because of my habit of thanksgiving.
I have begun reviewing my day as I lay in bed at night, sometimes writing in my journal before turning out the light. As I do, I thank God for every little thing that entered my life from the morning through the evening. It's amazing how the inconveniences and annoyances of the day just disappear as I focus on all that is good, as I focus on my sovereign God.
The context of these two verses also show that our joy and our thankfulness have a direct bearing on our relationships with others. The list of instructions in Thessalonians begins with "Be at peace among yourselves..., always seek to do good to one another and to everyone" (verses 13 and 15). Ephesians was expressing how we should address one another and concluded with "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (verse 21). And those guidelines precede the well-known passages on husband-wife, parent-child and master-slave (employer-employee) relationships.
Granted, thankfulness is not always easy! I'm sure that's why Paul included "pray without ceasing" in his letter to the Thessalonians. We must study and know God's Word in order to know what God wants of us. And we must spend time in prayer so the Holy Spirit can teach us and convict us and strengthen us to obey. And we must believe God, we must trust in His promises.
We so often quote Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." But do we see it in its context? Do we understand God's definition of "good"?
That well-known and oft-quoted verse follows the teaching on the Spirit's help in our weakness, His intercession for us when we cannot find the words for prayer. And in the verses that follow, we find that we are "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son". So prayer prepares us for anything. And the "good" that results is our conformity to Jesus Christ!
Wow! Don't we all claim to want to be more like our Savior? Do we forget that when trials come? Can we then say, "Thank You, God, for this opportunity to be more like Your Son"? That takes complete trust in God, in His ability to bring us through and to change us for His glory—if only we are willing to submit to His work in us.
And practiced thanksgiving is a great means to submission!
Quotations are from the English Standard Version
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