A few year ago, a Japanese camera was marketed worldwide with a new voice implementation chip. This remarkable camera would speak to the user and give directions to facilitate the picture-taking ability of the photographer. When there was insufficient light, it would tell you that you should use the electronic flash; or it would warn you to use a higher shutter speed if the one programmed was too slow and could possibly produce a blurred image.
All these voice warnings were proceeded by a polite salutation: if using the electronic flash was appropriate one would hear luce, per favore in the Italian version. In French the salutation would be sivous plait or in German bitte and so on, in each of the world’s languages where the camera was sold — except in some English language markets! In this case, the camera designers deliberately omitted the polite salutation in the North American version. Hence the version marketed here simply commanded: “Flash” not “flash, please” or “flash, thank you.”
The designers considered that it would be a waste of time and resources to program this additional pleasantry into English language versions. They especially felt that the concept of a polite “thank you” was not germane to American culture! Apparently their decision was correct for the firm relates that no one in America ever complained about this omission.
We are an unthankful people
It is indeed true that we are not a very thankful people and polite forms of address that are so often introduced into conversations in other countries are usually omitted here. Who would think of going into McDonald’s and saying: “deux hamburgers, si vous plait” [which is precisely what they do say in Paris]. Here the conversation is more likely to be: “What’d want!” with the reply being: “Two hamburgers and make it quick, I’m in a hurry!”
Indeed, it is not a very thankful age and we can be affected by the attitudes that beset the world around us. We can even be forgetful to give thanks to God. When the Psalmist reminds us to “Give thanks unto the LORD” (Psa. 136:1), he had in mind more than a perfunctory acknowledgment.
Thankfulness is important
By considering Romans 1, we can appreciate the seriousness of this matter. A correct attitude of thankfulness should permeate our lives as servants of the Lord. The apostle Paul explains to the Romans why the heathen were forsaken by God. The argument is irrefutable and still applies: The wonder and majesty of creation should be self-evident to men and should lead them to an appreciation of things eternal, i.e. God.
But the problem was widespread then and is now: “Because…they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful” (Rom. 1:21). As he points out a few verses later, there are consequences to such an attitude: “For this cause God gave them up…”(v. 26). Being always thankful to God is not an idea that gets much attention in the modern world. We live in a selfish age, typified by the appellation the “me generation.” People are concerned solely for themselves and are ungrateful to the extreme.
Thanklessness related to self-centeredness
“What’s in it for me” seems to be the only motivating principle of action whether at school, work, home and, unfortunately, sometimes in the ecclesia. We can be quick to criticize when someone says something we don’t agree with from the platform or in a Bible class, but how often do we say “thank you” for a job well done?
It seems that sacrifice is out! Self-denial is considered foolish sentimentality. The very idea of giving to the needs of others without expecting due repayment is considered weakness and folly. What place is there in a thankless, selfish world for the words of Paul to the Galatians when he exhorted them to, “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). In Paul’s view, service to our brethren was a commandment to be performed whether or not it was reciprocated. Furthermore, it was not something where we remembered the person once or twice and then forgot him. We sometimes back off helping someone who has been the recipient of previous largess. In fact we can become quite irritated and impatient with the habitual problem brother or sister. Words are uttered such as: “He is always doing that! I’ve helped him again and again and he never learns!! Enough is enough!”
Thankfulness leads to helpfulness
Our unwillingness to help often springs from our forgetting to be thankful for God’s forgiving our own sins. As Paul expresses it: “Let us not be weary in well doing” (Gal. 6:9). We certainly do not want God to stop forgiving us.
We know that bearing burdens of another has broad application. While it especially applies within the household (Gal. 6:10), there is also an aspect that has significance in our relationship to all men. Paul commands us: “Let us do good unto all men.”
It is often by acts of kindness and care to those in the world that we draw them to the word and eventually, prayerfully, into the path of salvation. It would be unfortunate indeed if the character we exhibited to those who are without, did not display the same right attributes that we must at all times emulate from our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must not have two personalities.
If we do good unto all men, it will be noticed and sometimes it will even lead to further interest in things of the spirit. There are brothers and sisters among us who were drawn to the Truth because of the character (not the words) that they witnessed in a Christadelphian.
We easily forget our dependence on God
In the daily cares of life, we sometimes forget to be thankful or are thankful in such a perfunctory way that it loses its meaning. The Israelites under the law were required to give a thanksgiving offering (Lev. 22:29) and this offering was one in which the offenders were themselves to eat. This immediate participation made the partaker of the offering fully aware of the direct benefit of God’s bountiful care for it is through God that our daily care is provided. We should be reminding ourselves daily of this fact in the prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
In the modern world, we are prone to forget this and not be thankful. Through technology, mankind has come to the point where the control of agriculture is almost taken for granted. This is especially true in North America where the bounty of our harvests is the envy of the entire world. Brethren in ages past, and in many other parts of the world today, are not so blessed as we are here.
Our blessings are numerous
We think of these blessings of daily needs but we could add to them blessings of home, family, ecclesia, livelihood, health and so on. Some may not have every blessing, but most have a very great number. Any of these blessings, in fact all of them, will inevitably be taken away when we die. In the end, the greatest reason for thankfulness resides in the eternal blessing that God has offered. As the Psalmist writes: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (Psa. 100:3).
Because He has made us, we have opportunity in this life to find eternal blessing. We had nothing to do with our being here. He has made us. Each of us owes a potentially eternal debt of gratitude to God for our very existence.
Further, we owe thanks to God for providing the means for hearing the word of truth — whether we were born into a family of believers or heard the word from one who was exercising “the foolishness of preaching.”
There are other spiritual blessings for which we should be thankful. Our brothers and sisters provide us a vehicle for mutual support. We should be thankful for the word of prophecy which continually reminds us of the sure hand of God still working among us.
Most of all, the Psalmist goes on to say: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting” (Psa. 100:4,5). We began this exhortation in Psalm 136 which makes this same point as a refrain 26 times throughout the Psalm: “For his mercy endureth forever.” This is an expression well worth repeating; may we never forget it.
We now break bread and drink wine in remembrance of the means whereby access to this mercy has been made possible — for this we should all be most thankful.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One