Thanking God in Tough Days (2)
Ephesians 5: 3, 4; 15-20
When I was in
One day, I wanted to see if the
people of
Sister Hedwig, a Swiss Missionary,
served in Ainjar for many years. She initiated a feast called: the harvest day.
The villagers brought their crops, fruits and vegetables to the house of the
Lord to express their thankfulness to God.
In the Armenian message, I said
that being worried would not help us
thank God. In fact, being worried
will just keep us depressed, full of bitterness, and compliant. Today’s second passage
is from Ephesians. We discussed this
letter a month ago. It is appropriate to look at it today from a different
perspective.
Paul wrote this letter when in
the midst of persecution and trouble. He asked us to be IMITATORS of GOD. In this short passage, twice he asked us
to be thankful.
The first one comes after
series of sins that Paul urges the church to stay away from. Then he gives a
solution: “but rather thanksgiving.” (vs. 4)
In the second part, again he
urges the church to be careful in lifestyle: how to live, how to be wise and
not foolish. He urges the church to be filled with the Spirit. The result: “speak to one another with psalms, hymns
and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always
giving thanks to God the father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (vs. 19-20).
In both passages, being
thankful is a biblical imperative. It is not just a choice to be thankful or
not. It is result of being with God; it is the result of looking to life and to
its circumstances with thankful eyes. In Armenian, the expression “shnorhagal
em” (thank you) is unique. Have you ever thought what it literally means? It
means, “I have received grace.” What a
wonderful attitude in thanking each other or God! God gives us His grace and
we, on the other side, receive it thankfully.
Through the grace of Jesus, we look at life in a different way.
Paul urges the Ephesian
church “to be wise making the most of every opportunity, because the days are
evil” (vs. 16).
a- Paul did not write all these when he was sitting in
five star hotel. He was in prison. He
was beaten many times. He was chained. Paul learned thanking God when things
are in bad shape. He learned to thank God and asked the church to thank God
when persecution is going on.
These days are evil. Look to this sentence carefully. Poverty
in the world is getting worse. Wars:
unfinished business. Environment is
being ruined and people need to do something about it. Immorality and crime are
rising. The DAYS ARE EVIL.
Paul is asking us to use time wisely. Let me combine Mathew’s
passage with Paul’s. Stop worrying, turn to God and be thankful. A good example
is Job. He lost everything, but he did not lose his grateful heart.
b- Are you
thankful for things, or thankful in all things?
We need to learn to thank God because of who He
is. We are so much used to be thankful if we receive something (things).
That is not the issue. Be thankful in everything and for everything.
Where do you stand today?
Look how the Pilgrims had
their first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men without a country, but
still there was thanksgiving to God. Why? Because it was not for things.
I heard that our economy
booms in Thanksgiving weekend. Why? We go shopping. We go shopping to buy
things. It satisfies our desire to have something. The next day we are hungry
and empty, and maybe broke. Therefore, we become worried and anxious. Then we
try to solve our problem with a counselor who will charge us $300/hour. More
money, more anxiety, more worry. You see, it is a trap that all of us can fall
into. It is a vicious loop.
Are you thankful this
morning, despite the problems you are facing?
c- Learn to be thankful, because it is a witness in
this dark and evil world.
By being a witness, you can
be a light to a person who does not have any hope. Where would you have been if
you had not known God?
Thank Him today. Thank God, that you know Him.
Learn to continue thanking by
being a witness for the others. Witnessing
is also sharing. Share your thankful heart with others. Sharing can be in
telling about Jesus: sharing the Good News.
By the Grace of God, we are
what we are (I Cor. 15:10). Because of His
grace, we can witness and thank. The credit goes to God.
d- Paul asks the church to continue in singing and
saying psalms:
“Speak to one another with
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the
Lord,..” (vs. 19)
I enjoy singing. I love to
see the church singing. Not only in the church, but also in our life. When the
CACC ladies were working preparing food for our food festival, suddenly one of
the women started singing and the others joined. What a blessing!
I arrived to Ainjar in 1990.
The first week I was there two women died. Both lived on the same street; both were
called Sara, and both were more than 90 years old. In that culture, you go to
the house of the deceased. The coffin will be open in the middle house. I went.
Women and men were sitting around the coffin. Then one of the ladies said to me,
“ Badveli, start singing.” For almost one hour we were singing hymns. It was an
experience I can never forget. Hymns and
singing were part of the grief. God speaks to us as we sing. God wants us
to spend time in singing and worshipping him. Again this can happen when you
have a thankful heart to the Lord.
Are you thankful this
morning?
Let me finish with this
illustration:
Once an evil king who wanted
his people lose their faith in God. He wanted to hide God in a place that no
one would ever find Him.
His advisers came up with the
following suggestions:
1. An adviser said, “Let us
send God to the dark side of the moon so no one will find him.”
The King disagreed: “What if
one day technology advances? They will go to the moon and find God there?”
2. Someone else suggested to
hide God in the deep ocean. Again, the King did not like the idea for the same
reason.
3. The Third adviser said, “Let
us hide God in a place no will think of.”
“Where?” they asked.
“Let us hide God in people’s
daily life, in everyday’s events. People will not recognize Him.” And the story
continues till today. People are searching for God.
Let us thank God. He is with
us in our life, in everyday’s events. Let us stop worrying. Instead let us seek
His Kingdom. Let us approach to the Lord’s Table, to the Thanksgiving Table,
with grateful hearts. Let us approach the Table, with confession and humility.
Come to God with thanksgiving, with singing and praise.
God is with us. Emmanuel.
Amen