Today’s passage tells us this: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”
Yes, God’s invisible qualities have been manifested on earth for ages through mankind’s evolution. And, the fact that God exists and that He is the all powerful and all-wise Creator is what gives man the ability to do what he can do! Just have a look at the stars in the sky, the plants and animals, etc. you will see that there is some powerful force behind it all. And that force is God!
This is so interesting, my brother, my sister! Why? Because some people call God’s divine and invisible power ‘a force’, and others call it ‘mother nature’ or others say ‘it just happened’ as if things happen just by chance. BUT WE, BELIEVERS, KNOW BETTER! That is what is interesting? Indeed, we know better because we know that God is not ‘mother nature’; He is God, from everlasting to everlasting! Now, problems start when we acknoledge this fact, but we do not glorify Him or thank Him for what He has done for us in this life. The Bible says, when we do that, our thinking become futile and our hearts are foolishly darkened. Isn’t it true? Just think at the way people sometimes fall into depression: they start thinking something bad, instead of glorifying God for what they can see, feel, eat, experience, which He has created and made available for them; they would rather cry and self-pity for what they don’t have, what they miss, what they are hoping for.
My friend, a Roman philosopher, Cicero, once said this: “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” Now, if we consider that giving thanks is the greatest virtue then failing to give thanks is the greatest vice (vice is a contrary of virtue). And look at some synonyms of the word ‘vice’: immorality, wrongdoing, wrong, wickedness, badness, evil-doing, evil, iniquity, villainy, venality, impurity, corruption, misconduct, etc. Yes, we should learn to say thank you for what we have, what we hope for and what God is doing around us to avoid being like those the Bible says “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools” (verses 21-22). Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.