Where unthankfulness leads...
Paul wanted to do a church planting trip to Spain. He wrote a letter to the church in Rome to garner their support. Rather than send them his CV, Paul gives them a breakdown of the gospel that he preached.His letter has been of great blessing to the church because it provides us with a beautiful systematic overview of the gospel.Paul begins by making a case for the brokenness of the world. He argues that we are broken and in need of a Saviour. It's a bleak picture: Although God's glory is plain to see in Creation, human beings have suppressed the truth and ignored what is right in front of our eyes. As the human race we have ignored God's call on our lives and plunged into foolish self-worship and idolatry.
In the midst of describing our downfall, Paul makes a profound diagnosis: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened..."
The emphasis is mine, but the thought is challenging. Could an intrinsic lack of gratitude be behind our lostness? Is it possible that when we blunt the edge of our thankfulness we also blunt our perception of God? Is it true that the less thankful I am, the less I will see God? Is our praise-fullness connected to our thank-fullness?
Could the brokenness of society be connected to a lack of gratitude? When I am not thankful for something, a sense of entitlement takes the place of gratitude. Entitlement leads to pride and pride leads me to try and be my own god or to make my own gods.
Selwyn Hughes suggests that gratitude is a vital habit for a Christian and makes the point that he pities the atheist who might, at some point, realise that they have so much to be thankful for and then have no-one to thank!
Maybe one of the best ways to see God is to take stock of what I am grateful for...
| The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans1:17-23) |
