Thank You Crossroad Community Church

Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Thank you
In our home we have an assistant who will do whatever we ask. She is diligent, rarely does she rest, most if not all of the time, she completes every task we assign to her. She wakes us up every morning exactly when we tell her to. Not a minute earlier or later than we want…exactly when we say she should. She checks on the weather for us. She plays the music we want to hear when we direct her to. She keeps a watchful eye on how long something has been cooking and lets us know to remove it before it burns. If I want her to, she will even check on the internal temperature of my steaks on the grill while I am inside enjoying the air conditioning which she turned on for me before I got home. She runs around the house turning off all of the lights that I instruct her to from the comfort of my bed before I go to sleep. I never have to say please or thank you to her, she owes it to me, after all I allow her and her twins to stay in nearly every room in my home…rent free.
Sometimes I wonder why the creators of Alexa didn’t require that we say please before each request and thank you after each task was carried out. I have mentioned to my wife before that as our grandchildren grow up with such technologies as a regular part of their existence that their generation is losing out on many opportunities to learn the correct ways to respond to real-live-people. I am convinced it plays a part in the total lack of decorum in the world today.
I remember when I was raising my children when they were toddlers. I would give them something or be nearby when someone else would give them something and I would almost always ask a question you have undoubtedly asked nearly a million times yourself. What’s the magic words? Their responses were some cute version of the words they would eventually learn to say clearly and without provocation…please and thank you.
Why do we use these words when we desire something or have received what we wanted? Is it simply because it is the right thing to do? Is it good etiquette, and nothing more? Hopefully it is more than that. Far more than that.
I have noticed something. When I want something that I am about to provide for myself, I do not say please prior to receiving it, nor do I thank myself for getting it for me. With that in mind, why do I ask others prefaced with a please and follow their provision with a thank you? Clearly it is because I am requesting someone else use their time, money, resources or power that I might benefit. In response I recognize the need to be grateful they have met my need at their expense in one form or another. Often times that gratefulness is extended because I know I was completely unable to meet the need myself.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is asking you for something they cannot do for themselves that their requests become more like sincere pleading? Has it struck you sometimes as it has me that when someone thanks you for doing something for them that they recognize was beyond their own ability their thanks are especially heartfelt or given profusely? It feels good to be asked for something in such a manner or to receive such earnest thanks, doesn’t it?
Are we that careful or even more so with God or have the conveniences of our time caused us to become far too cavalier? Do we see Him as the all-knowing, all-powerful, unchangeable, ever present ruler of Heavens Armies, or is He our Alexa in the s...