A Side effect of Giving Thanks

Today, all the people in the United States are invited, as much as possible, to gather with their families and friends to raise their voices and offer Thanks. I want to join them and especially this year since I have a lot to be thankful for.

The Word tells me that Giving Thanks is not an option for me. "In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thes 5:18). Reading this verse I was struck by the fact that Paul considers it as the Will of God. I knew that giving thanks is the polite thing to do, the right thing to do... but the Will of God? If it is the will of God, then, I have to approach the whole thing very differently.

The whole passage from 1 Thess 5 makes me believe that it is possible that there was some tension in the community: with the leaders, with those who are in "psychological" need, with each other. Very common problems in a community. Yet, Paul seems to build up to this verse. Even the command to "rejoice always" and "pray without ceasing" come before this verse.

I got a little insight. I noticed that all these issues, which are still present in today's culture, are caused by something subtle but powerful. I happen to think of it as a tyrant that demands a bit but in the end is capable of taking all that we have.

This is the time we dethrone the tyrant of this age; it whisper to us that we can be happy if we push our own agenda, without regard of others. I can't imagine how this attitude can bring anything but tension and division everywhere. And I see division and tension everywhere because everybody thinks that their own agenda is all that matters.

How can we destroy this tyrant? According to Paul, it is by Giving Thanks. Why? Because when we give tanks we get out of ourselves, we consider the other as "real," as worthy of our attention. The more we do this, the more the tyrant will starve. The more it starves, the more we can live our lives in freedom.

Imagine what will happen to a family where husband and wife are thankful for each other? The children will pick it up, and they will bring it to schools, etc. It's truly the beginning of a network of blessings that is based on the "other" rather than on ourselves.

I discovered a side effect of Giving Thanks: it changes me and changes all the people around me. It makes me open my eyes to the gift that is my neighbor. It's the door to a life of Blessings.