Mrs. Evelyn O.Shih
Paul didn’t say ‘I wish you will give thanks in all circumstances’ nor ‘I hope you can give thanks in all circumstances; but said, ‘This is God’s will that you give thanks in all circumstances’. Thus, it is a serious statement which we should reflect upon.
If we were to reverse this verse, it would be: ‘It is against God’s will to not to give thanks in all circumstances’. Why? There are three reasons which come to mind.
Firstly, not giving thanks in all circumstances means one doesn’t acknowledge God’s absolute authority, doesn’t accept God’s planning in one’s life nor has trust in God’s righteousness and love that what ever happens to us will end up for our own benefit
I think it is especially hard for us Chinese to be thankful, for we feel it is polite to say something bad about ourselves. For example, when some compliments you on your good appearance, Westerners will say ’thanks you!’ Chinese feel it is too arrogant to accept such a praise. They will say, ‘No, no, not at all. It is only an old dress.’ In this way, we Chinese tend to look for reasons of complaining instead of thanksgiving. Thus it becomes our habit to complain in all circumstances. The easiest circumstances in which to find fault is the weather. When we get up in the morning, the first thing we do is groan about it. It’s either too hot, too cold, too humid, or too dry. Hawaii has the best weather in the world, but do you think the residents there thank God for that? No, they complain just as often. The Isrealites complained ten times during the forty years they wandered in the wilderness, but we complain ten times with in one day.
Secondly, not giving thanks in all circumstances means leaving ground s for Satan’s accusation. Remember how Satan accused Job? He said to God, “ Of course Job worships you since have blessed all his work. Try to strike on everything he has, he will surely curse you to your face.”
But Job thanked God in all circumstances. After he lost all his children and his possession, he still worship God and said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.” When his wife complained, he stood firm with ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not troubles?” He also proclaimed, “I will trust in Him though He slays me.”
Thirdly, to thank God in all circumstances means we are willing to submit ourselves to God, and trust Him totally. This is the right attitude to do His will. Some people mix submission to God with yield to fate. Actually they are entirely different. Yielding to fate is an action of passive suffering and you think fate is cruel. Since you can’t do any thing about it, you yield to it reluctantly. However, God is love and He goes through fire and water with us, so we submit to Him happily. With a song in our heart, we march forward through the process of purification.
Are you complaining that God’s will is not clear enough for you to follow? Why don’t you start to thank Him in all circumstances? When you take this first step, you will live in His will naturally and freely.
