Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy | Part 6: Muscle
Paul now comes to the fourth and final characteristic of one “walking worthy of the Lord” (Co 1.10): “giving thanks unto the Father” (Co 1.12).
Gratitude. It’s a characteristic we often lack.
I suppose there are several reasons for that—beyond the general fact of human depravity, of course.
First, we’re selfish, self-centered. We’re focused on what we need, or what we want; if we don’t have it, we’re driven to get it. If we do have a particular thing we need, then we focus on something else that we don’t have. There’s always something, isn’t there? And the drive to get The Thing typically attracts our attention more easily than the gratitude for The Things that we do have.
I suppose a way to mitigate this problem is to be content—that is, to recognize that you need less than you think you do. Now, I’m not talking to the single Mom of 4 kids who’s working two or three jobs—somehow—to keep all the bills paid. There are clear instances of genuine need, and feeling that lack is no failing.
But for most of us, that scenario is not what we’re facing, even in times of economic pressure. Witness the ubiquity of businesses renting out storage lockers—there are two within a block or two of my house—as just one evidence of the fact that we have more than we need. As further evidence, take my testimony, which is typical of people my age. We’re trying desperately to get rid of a houseful of stuff so our kids don’t have to wade through it after we die. And much of that stuff we haven’t used, or perhaps even seen, in years, or even decades. These days I’m finding boxes of stuff in my attic that I had literally forgotten I had. I’m not suggesting we go all Marie Kondo on everything, but the simple fact is that most of us have much, much more than we need.
I’m realizing that in my retirement I can live much more simply, much more cleanly, and yes, simultaneously even much more comfortably than I ever thought possible. Contentment is a liberating and pacifying thing.
A second reason for thanklessness, I think, is a lack of attention to the source of what we have. Where did I get my ability to walk routinely without pain? To smell the honeysuckle growing in my yard? To see the gradations of brilliant color that embellish my skies every morning and evening? To hear the laughter of my grandson when I say, “Gotcha!”? My generous Father has given me all these things freely and from my earliest days on this earth. How good. How kind. How deserving of a daily word of thanks.
My daily prayer time includes a section of thanking God for the countless things he has done for me physically, providentially, and spiritually. I have a list, and I go over it constantly. And let me say that a side effect of this practice is peace—something sadly missing in much of the current culture.
A third reason for ingratitude, and the last one I’ll mention, is lack of attention—or rather, inordinate attention to less important things. We’re focused on What We Gotta Do Right This Minute. And there’s something to be said for responsible living, for excellence, for prioritization, for stewardship. But life is about people as well as projects and processes, and we invest wisely when we give attention to the benefits that others bring to our lives. When they smile, or say a kind word, or offer a hand, or give a gift, these are things that have measurably improved our lives and for which we should be grateful. And we should put that gratitude into words, whether prayed, spoken, or written.
Well. This has been more of a meditation than an exegesis. There’s a place for that.
Next time, we’ll turn to the passage, where Paul spends the rest of the chapter—17+ of its 29 verses, or more than half—specifying things for which we should be thankful. It will be fun to spend some time on that pleasantly aromatic pathway.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
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