THANKFULLNESS

Philemon 1: 4 – 16



I really hate bad news.
I should probably rephrase that statement to I really dislike bad news.
I found out this morning that I may have to spend a significant amount of money to repair our septic system.
Of this, I wasn't very thankful.
To be truthful, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.
I don't want to be giving thanks for this. Inside, I feel like I'm getting a raw deal and want to scream, “Why Me!” “why do these things always happen to me?”
But, God wants us to be thankful for all things, no matter how hard that may seem to be.
And to be honest, I am thankful that I don't have to build an outhouse, or call for a port-a-potty.
At times like this, I think of the word and wonder what comfort I can receive.

4 Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, "Oh, thank you, God!"
5 I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other Christians.
6 And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it.

This should be a goal that we all strive for. To be known for our love and faith that we have.
To be able to handle things that it can be said that we can be truly thankful no matter what the circumstances.

10 While here in jail, I’ve fathered a child, so to speak. And here he is, hand-carrying this letter—Onesimus!
11 He was useless to you before; now he’s useful to both of us.
12 I’m sending him back to you, but it feels like I’m cutting off my right arm in doing so.
13 I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I’m in jail for the Message.
14 But I didn’t want to do anything behind your back, make you do a good deed that you hadn’t willingly agreed to.
15 Maybe it’s all for the best that you lost him for a while. You’re getting him back now for good—
16 and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That’s what he was to me—he’ll be even more than that to you.

Philemon was to be thankful that his runaway slave was being returned, yet not as a slave but as an equal, while Onesimus was to be thankful for his possible return to slavery at the hands of his former master.
Now that's where faith and love come into play.
It's hard to give thanks at times.
But, we need to find a way.

To quote Bob Marley;
“Give thanks and praise to the Lord, and it will be all right.”