Hello dear reader. Another Friday so fast… I’m glad.
Today, I am writing to you about Thanksgiving by faith. I believe you have seen different excellent articles on this same topic but I am writing from a different perspective today. Generally, these articles come from the perspective of trusting that God is up to something and so because you believe that He’s up to something, despite your current unpalatable state, you give Him thanks. This is true.
Some teach that your act of thanksgiving can change your predicament. Some even go as far as encouraging you to thank God because “Anyone who gives thanks is applying for more blessings”. Well, I personally don’t like this teaching because it subtly pushes an evil motive and turns believers into sycophants and a group of hypocrites. Another reason I don’t like it and the most important to me is that the scriptures never teach us to thank God for this purpose. Neither does the word teach us that the will of God is for your Thanksgiving to change or move you from your current problem… I’m not even sure it can.
Let’s see what the word of God teaches.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
I believe what I seek to achieve through today’s post is to give you one reason why you should thank God in every situation just like the scriptures say. A reason that doesn’t border on sycophancy and falsehood. A reason that keeps you humble in the time of plenty and gives you the Joy of the Lord to not just endure times of lack but remain faithful and content in it.
Let me paint for you a scenario common in an average African home.
As an African child, you have probably been commanded to do the most absurd things in the most unrelated moments. An example is when you did something wrong and you were pitilessly beaten. After the beating, with tears streaming down your cheeks, you hear your parent’s authoritative voice command you to say “Thank You”.
Why sir!!!??? Why on earth will I say thank you!!???
Guess what; I have never seen a child who refused to say it. They don’t say it because they enjoyed the whooping, they say it because they were commanded to. How they feel doesn’t matter.
Listen to this, “Faith Obeys”. This is how you really thank God. The Bible states that God demands Thanksgiving in aaaaaallllll things. It even says it is the will of God. This is what someone who says he believes does, he obeys.
Let me explain to you what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 means by “In Every thing“.
It means, in every matter, at every time (always), any matter, daily, in whatsoever…
There’s NO opportunity to complain or grumble.
Listen to this; You can’t give thanks to God on your knees in your room concerning a matter but when you’re with friends and you’re talking about the same matter, you grumble and complain. You have not fulfilled the will of God for you.
This requires you to be conscious always… Listen, you cannot complain that the food before you is not rich enough, it has no meat or fish in it…. I know many are guilty of this… This is crazy, but if you don’t have food, you can’t complain, you give thanks… How much more when you have but it’s not what you’d want to eat.
This is another crazy one, you don’t hear news about a killing and begin to complain about the Nation, about the Leaders (that’s murmuring against God), you may identify wrongs as a matter of discussion, you may talk about it but you cannot complain… You may mourn, but you can not complain, murmur or grumble… The Lord gives, the Lord takes, glory be to God in the highest.
You can’t even lie about this, saying “I’m not complaining o, I’m just talking about it”, because the Lord searches the heart.
Listen, when you have something and people keep coming to you for it (maybe an ability or resource), you must never say “why are you people disturbing me now!??!”… You say “Thank you God that I can give, I understand that no man has anything except it is given to him by God”…. This is Thanksgiving by faith, by the word… Keeping the will of God.
There are so many examples to give but the Bible summarizes them in two words… “Every thing”.
I know this seems difficult, it’s a difficult pill to swallow. I want to be able to whine and nag and complain about my phone network service at least… Sorry Rowland, no more of that. I tried searching the scriptures to find something to excuse even the least complaint but everything only confirmed it more. I can’t even accommodate the little ones because, you see, “Little foxes spoil the vine” and “A little leaven, leavens the whole lump”… “Bitter and sweet water cannot come from the same source”.
I’m not here to tell you what Thanksgiving will do to you or your situation… That’s not what you should focus on. Rather keep your focus on the command and the knowledge of the will of God concerning you who are in Christ in every situation, at every time and on every matter.
Your expression of Faith is not in how you feel. It is expressed in your willingness and obedience of the word of God. Being thankful must be an act of faith no matter the pleasantness or the unpleasantness of the situation… Even if you have to cry while obeying because you are pained you can’t do what self wants.
I have said quite a number of hard things today… Let me say more… We often times focus on the religious thanksgiving and that’s why once the performance is over and we are in our relaxed state, the grumbling and complaining begins.
Thanksgiving by faith, that is in keeping with the will of God, never gives room for grumbles.
Let me end with this word of encouragement to you my dear friend. As you know, what I’m here to do is to talk about faith which is truly one of the most important things. So just hear this:
No matter what you lost, if you’ve not lost your faith, you’ve lost nothing… Give thanks.
I know this is hard but if you believe that God’s will for you is not to be a complainer but to be full of thanks, let’s say a prayer together. Tell Him you believe His word but you need His grace. Help my unbelief Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thank you dear friend for joining me today. I’ll write to you next week by God’s grace. Have a great weekend. God bless you.
PS: I’ll like you to read Jude 1:14-16 especially verse 16.
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Photo was edited.
Ancient Word 
