Renungan Pagi, Senin 09 Oktober 2023 (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.; Mengucap syukurlah dalam segala hal,  sebab itulah yang dikehendaki Allah di dalam Kristus Yesus bagi kamu.

Many things are advised to believers, one of which in this verse is to be grateful in everything. To whom are we grateful, of course to God (Ps. 106). Be grateful not only when we are in abundance but also when we are in trouble. Being grateful in abundance is easy, because the situation is full of happiness. But being grateful in difficulty is not easy because we are in suffering and tears. Thus, in this text, Paul reminds the Thessalonian people to remain grateful even though their situation is under threat from the Jews, because they follow Christ.

So why should we be grateful both in times of abundance and hardship:

1.   Because that is God’s will in Jesus Christ for us. In this text it is very clear that it says: Give thanks in everything, because that is what God wants in Christ Jesus for you.
2. Because God is Good, God never leaves us. God enables us to go through all processes, whether good or bad, and until now we remain under the shelter of His love. If you are currently in abundance, happiness, those are not only because of your goodness but only God’s mercy, and conversely if you are currently in a sorrow and sadness, it does not mean that you are being hated by God, but we are in the process of God. Therefore, we should be grateful for everything because everything is part of the journey of life that cannot escape from God’s eyes.
3.   So that our relationship with God is never broken. An unbroken relationship is the result of a good or harmonious relationship with God. If our relationship with God is good then our relationship with others will also be good. And conversely, if we don’t have good relationships with others, then it is certain that our relationship with God is also not good. Therefore, maintaining good relationships with others must begin with maintaining a good relationship with God. One of them is grateful.

People who are intimate with God have all their heartbeats filled with thanksgiving to God. And even Jesus himself thanked God even though he faced problems from Jewish religious (Matt. 11:18-19). Why Jesus was grateful, because He knew God would act in His power. He has confidence that God the Father is able to work in any circumstances to bring about goodness. We should be like Jesus be grateful to God because we know God works in any circumstances all our life to bring about goodness

I found a song written by Martin G. Schneider (Germany) saying that we should be grateful when: a bright morning, a new day, grateful for being able to hand over worries to God, grateful for good friends, for being able to forgive, for job, times of sorrow, for kind words, for God’s guidance, and there is still a very long explanation of the form of gratitude. And of course we can continue this verse according to the grace we receive from God. And the question for you is; are you grateful? Do you make room behind your busy schedule to give thanks to God?

When we are able to express gratitude, feelings of arrogant, criticism and negative things will disappear. Thanksgiving is a form of praise. Martin Luther said: We cannot give anything else to God apart from Praise and Gratitude because we receive everything from Him, including grace, works, Gospel, Faith and everything else. Therefore, the only service that is true is praise and thanksgiving. A person who is able to express gratitude will live their life full of peace, they surrender everything to God so that God controls their life, they do not force everything according to their ability but rather surrender everything to God. Being grateful when life is difficult dot not mean being grateful for the problem but being grateful because God will work on our problems.

How can we be grateful, namely by remembering God. Because people who can’t remember, they won’t be able to be grateful. Therefore, grateful people are people who remember God’s mercy in their lives. There is no goodness like the goodness of God who was willing to come down from His omnipotence to become human and share our suffering, even willing to die for our sins for our salvation. Apart from giving His life for us, He also cares for and blesses us. He made a very, very beautiful plan for us, namely a plan for peace and happiness, both on earth and in heaven. Therefore be grateful because God is good.

Oleh : Bvr. Tiarma, M.Th.