“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19, 20
In this letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul is encouraging them to live in such a way that others can see the difference in them. He compares the light they have in their hearts with the darkness of their culture. He describes the sinfulness of society in a way that shows its filth and sordidness. He talks about the foolishness of living a life of drunkenness, and the futility of seeking joy in the partying lifestyle. He explains that such people will not find the kingdom of God using those paths and means. Then he holds up the Christians as beacons of light and love, a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere stifled with the stench of sin.
That’s when he begins to tell them how to live so their goodness and righteousness will not only grow, but will be evident to all around them. He begins by encouraging them to sing. Why do you think he says that? Well, I think there are two reasons. First, he’s just been talking about drunkenness. So instead of singing drinking songs, let’s sing songs of praise. Singing is not a sin, but our reason and purpose for singing may be. Too often, the culture thinks the Christian life is dull and boring. We know that’s not true, so why not show that to the world? Show them that we have as much or more excitement in our singing as you’ll find at any secular concert. And better yet, our singing comes from deep inside us and goes deep into the heart of God. And that’s the other reason to sing songs of praise. It’s one of the best ways to lift us above the sin and filth around us and bring us right into the throne room of God!
Then Paul gets to the part that I struggle with by talking about giving thanks.I don’t struggle with giving thanks. I’ve seen the power of an attitude of gratitude. Nothing lifts me out of a funk quicker than giving thanks. Nothing is better at shutting down the devil’s schemes. There are so many times when giving thanks is a game-changer. For example, when you’re overwhelmed, or discouraged, or sad, or lonely, or frustrated. The list goes on and on. So even if scripture didn’t tell me to give thanks, I would still be a big believer in the power of gratitude. The part I struggle with is giving thanks for everything. If it said to give thanks in everything, I could live with that. But for? I have to admit that I don’t get that. It seems impossible, illogical, and unreasonable. But that’s my human brain talking.While I don’t understand how this is feasible or why God would ask it of us, I do know that God only asks us to do what is for our best. I trust Him and I trust His word. Even the parts that seem as if they can’t be done. I know that when the time comes, God will give each of us all we need to be able to do what needs to be done. That’s when we’ll know a joy and peace the world can’t even imagine!