Friends,

Here is Common Christianity column #836 (11-22-22), “Polite Thanks?” When we thank God, it’s not out of politeness, and God’s “You’re welcome” is something different entirely.  See the column below.  Happy Thanksgiving! – Bob

-- -- --

Spirituality Column #836

November 22, 2022

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Polite Thanks?

By Bob Walters

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for Christ Jesus in you.” – Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Thankfulness” is unselfish but nonetheless benefits us, I think, not God. 

Paul says in Philippians 4 to “be thankful always” and to “present our requests to God with thankfulness.”   Does it help or impress God that we thank Him?  Does it change God that we thank Him?  Likely not, but thankfulness changes us. 

We as humans appreciate a “thank you” once in a while.  And we know that it is polite to thank others.  Politeness is a dynamic that helps us get along with each other, be civil, promote harmony, prevent discord, and in general advertise our desire for pleasant relationship with our fellow humans.  When we are impolite, it undoes all those good things and opens the door for bad things – unpleasantness, discord, evil, etc.

But, when we “Thank God,” does God owe us a polite, “You’re welcome”? I think He responds in greater ways, and I don’t think we thank God out of mere politeness.

When we thank God in all circumstances, God and we know that not all the circumstances we face are welcome.  I often think that when we thank God in difficult times, God’s response more likely than “You’re welcome” is, “I hope you understand.”

But I think the way God responds to our thanks is through the fruits of the Spirit Paul describes in Galatians 5 and elsewhere.  When we praise and thank God always, and pray continually … you know how God responds?  With the gigantic spiritual gifts of our own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

“Against such things there is no law,” Paul says (Gal. 5:23).  In our acceptance and faith in these wonderful gifts and fruits from God, we activate and nurture the abiding fellowship with God and our fellow humans that God built into us at Creation. 

Yes, there once was peace in the Garden; I don’t know about thankfulness.  Now, in our fallen world, thankfulness activates these Godly gifts and fruits of the Spirit.  They allow us now to experience the rejuvenation – the salvation – of our souls God endowed with the presence, life, love, obedience, example, teaching, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Salvation jumps far above the realm of politeness; it deserves our thankfulness with a capital Whew!  It’s an unexpected deliverance we don’t deserve.

God, mysteriously, is unchanging and righteous yet has mercy, compassion, and reacts to our prayers, petitions, and situations.  He is our help in time of trouble.  That means that though God doesn’t change, he still has relationship with His creation.

That’s the mystery: God has a personality and reactions – He knows, feels, and sees things – but doesn’t change.  I can’t explain how that is possible; people with personalities and reactions change all the time: for better or for worse.  With prayer and obedience, we can even change in Christ.  That’s something for which to be thankful.

But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours. We may not always understand, but I can say and witness with confidence that our faith, our hope, our love, our obedience, our prayer, our praise, and our thanks are God’s return gift to us.  All those things make our lives more bearable now.

That’s how God says, “You’re welcome.”

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) believes our joy in Christ is rooted in the steadfast gratitude and eternal trust we express to God in our lives here and now.  And I believe when we all get to heaven, God is grateful we’re there … and welcomes us.