Giving thanks for a big mess
by Pastor Joshua Pfeiffer
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I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:4).
Read 1 Corinthians 1:1–19
The congregation at Corinth was a big mess. There had been in-fighting, arrogant rejection of the Apostle Paul’s authority, sexual immorality, lawsuits among believers, idolatry, highly irreverent conduct at the Lord’s Supper, disorderly worship in various ways, and much more. It is truly astonishing from this perspective that Paul begins his letter by thanking God for these people. He thanks God for a big mess. And it’s not as if this is a mere literary convention or transparent flattery. We can see in Galatians 1:6–10 that Paul is quite willing to go straight to a strong rebuke without thanksgiving if he deems it necessary.
Even with all their problems, Paul can stand back and see the big picture. He’s able to see that, although these people are sinners, they are also saints. The grace of God has been given to them. This is something to thank God for, even if, from a human point of view, they don’t always seem to be living out their calling to be the saints God has made them. It’s also important to notice that just because the Apostle Paul is able to thank God for them doesn’t mean he is naïve or blasé about the problems. He also thinks sin needs to be warned against, rebuked, corrected and disciplined. That will come. But first things first: thanksgiving.
No doubt in your family or congregation, there are some problems, and they are real and may need attention. But rather than starting from the point of anger and frustration over those problems, stop and consider giving thanks for the people involved. Give thanks to God that he has shown them his grace and mercy and hasn’t given up on your family or church. Life is messy, and by God’s Spirit, he helps to bring good order, growth, maturity and peace. As this is a work in progress, we can thank God, even for the mess.
Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for every member of our families and congregations. We thank you even for those who have caused problems we’re still working through. Thank you for your grace for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joshua is married to Kimberley, and they have four children together. He is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia and previously served at St Paul’s Nundah in Queensland and Bethlehem Adelaide in South Australia. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Concordia Seminary St Louis, USA, and enjoying the adventure.
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