“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2
Corinthian 9:15
Thankfulness towards God is naturally in the heart of those
who sincerely love the Lord. Everything good, and good for us, comes from Him,
and we’re most especially thankful for giving His Son for us, so that we may be
forgiven by Him for our sins and enter into eternal life.
We are similarly taught to be thankful towards those who have
helped us and for the things that have helped us along our way in life. Some of
them will have even directly led us to Christ in one way or another. The people
and things we acknowledge as having helped us in some way might be Christian, or
they might even be of the world. Either way, thankfulness for them and
sometimes to them seems entirely right and justified by God’s Word.
Yet, at a certain point, when not properly directed, thankfulness can also be a trap laid by Satan himself, and the people or things that helped us can become idols.
First, we might believe that at low points in one’s life, it was using or abusing drugs or alcohol, or an ungodly relationship, or other sinful behavior, that “got us through.”
Second, we can begin our lives so spiritually distant from God that we can feel indebted to whatever and whomever He uses to point us in His direction on the very long journey towards Him, even if that person or thing is in actuality only disguised as an “angel of light,” or a light that is actually worldly darkness.
God in His great mercy allows there to exist the image of something good even in what isn’t actually good spiritual food, for the sake of drawing to Himself His children, but if we’re not careful, those things can become strongholds for the devil and beloved idols of the flesh. At some point, we need to see all ungodly, worldly things that God permitted us to partly survive upon for what they are truly are spiritually, even while remembering, in humility, our former state and our need for His mercy. So, for instance, a Christian who no longer drinks but believes that abusing alcohol kept him alive for years after a difficult childhood needs to not have contempt for people at that point in their lives, or see them as beyond hope of salvation and damned if they don’t repent and turn to Christ when he believes they should.
But when God has indeed brought us to the truth about an idol, His Word teaches us to love Him first and keep our own selves from idols. If a sense of indebtedness to an idol seems to trap us, then we can remember how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. The devil would have them believe that Egypt was an idol to love, or at least be indebted to for “taking care of them.” Yet the Lord’s lesson was to plunder the devil, without a sense of obligation. If Satan masquerading as an angel of light does a good deed and comes to your rescue, you needn’t be bound to him in gratitude.
“And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:21-22
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