Tax Day Thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.    This even includes giving thanks to God on the tax deadline day - so often we complain over situations over which we have no control; and the Lord gives us His word on that subject:  pray without ceasing AND in everything give thanks.   Gratitude will alter the state of our hearts...where there is gratitude, we can experience joy and peace, because we are accepting an attitude from the Father - not become disheartened about things that we humanly cannot change, and looking to Him to change circumstances, or change us in the midst of them.

On this Tax Day, let's focus on Mark chapter 12, where the Pharisees attempted to lay a trap for Jesus:
14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.   This was a blatant attempt to paint Jesus as some sort of anti-government rebel, and it didn't work.   In fact, we see in Romans 13 that government is an institution ordained by God - for specific purposes: to keep order and punish evil.  1st Timothy chapter 2 exhorts us to pray for our leaders - those who are in a authority in us.   So, just because we may not like some aspects of the tax code or the functions of our government doesn't give us an "out" on paying our taxes.   In following the principle of Scripture found in Colossians 3:17, I want to offer some things to be thankful for on Tax Day:- for me, I'm thankful that it's over; maybe tonight by midnight, we'll have significantly more thankful people;- I am thankful for tax preparation and electronic filing, keeping my OCD from kicking in nearly as much;- I like the thought that restaurants and other retailers are giving out free stuff and discounts today; - I appreciate those who serve in our government, whose salaries are paid by our taxes; the people who staff the various Federal and State agencies, who provide a variety of services and oversight to make our lives run smoother;- and, our troops who serve our country, who defend us and promote the cause of freedom around the world, deserve our appreciation;- as government is charged in Scripture to keep order and punish evil, I think about those who serve in law enforcement, who are also in harm's way, keeping us safe and enforcing the rule of law...
And while there is a significant debate about the size and scope of government and the enormous amount of spending that is taking place, especially on the Federal level, and while state government is attempting to meet the constitutional requirements of a balanced budget, we need to continue to be in pray for those who serve in governmental leadership, that they may exercise wisdom in dealing with the enormous moral and economic challenges our country faces.    We can easily begin to complain about the state of affairs, but I believe that we can be thankful, be prayerful, and maintain joy and contentment - some circumstances may change, and others we have to endure, and in those times, we can rely on the Lord to change us and to change our attitude.  And, perhaps God will use us as a catalyst for change, as we pray and be willing to be part of meaningful solutions for our tremendous challenges.