A few days ago, one of our neighbors called my wife asking if I can come to her house to check her furnace which seems to be not working anymore – it has been two nights without heat from her baseboard heater. I know this is an urgent issue as outside temperature goes down every night recently. Later at her house, I discovered that her furnace is a complex energy efficient heating system equipped with complicated control circuitries. I immediately realize that this is beyond my limited knowledge. As movie actor Clint Eastwood used to say, “Man has to know his limitation” 🙂 , I carefully checked around and saw malfunction lights blink on the control board of the furnace. I tried to reset the burner of the furnace but wasn’t successful. I guess it is time for a professional than an amateur. So, I told her to call a professional as time is critical. She looks disappointed but still “say thanks” to me for my effort.
“Say thanks” is a gesture that we normally use to express our appreciation when we receive something from others, either tangible or intangible. I still remember when my kids were at their elementary / middle school years, their schools normally have a Thanksgiving presentation at this time. They were asked to stand in front of parents reciting “I am thanking for….” song. Some of the example phrases are: I am thanking for my parents, for my family, for my country, etc. I think it is good to teach kids to have an attitude of thanksgiving. However, if you listen to their recitations closely, you will find that the phrase, “I am thanking for God” is hardly, if ever, recited by kids. You can say it is coincidental but I tend to think this is an intentional omission by most public education institutions. The omission basically ignores that fact that God is the Creator of the Universe. So, let’s ponder upon this a little bit.
You probably would agree with me that it is not meaningful and even embarrassing if you say thanks to a wrong person or for a wrong subject, right? In other words, when you say thanks without recognizing the right person whom (or the right subject) you should be thanking for, your gesture is by no means meaningful. Therefore, an immediate question to us is do we realize that? If we don’t, then we are giving glory to someone who is not deserved or for a wrong subject. This is certainly not a desirable thing to do.
Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus acknowledged that He was “sent” by father God to finish the work of salvation in order to deliver us from sin. Apostle Paul indicated to us that Jesus who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! 他本有神的形象，不以自己與神同等為強奪的，反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形象，成為人的樣式；既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服以至於死，且死在十字架上。(Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus exemplifies the importance of submission by giving glory to the right person – God the Father. How about today’s society? Obviously, it is a different story!
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, when we want to say thanks, we have to identify who the right person is and what the right subject is. We need to thank our Lord first for His grace and mercy. In this season of Thanksgiving, let’s remember that it is Jesus for the reason.
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Disclaimer: The sharing is pure from my personal view; therefore, please don’t take it to be absolute. Thanks.