DAY 2: A LIFE OF THANKS
Read Ephesians 5:20.
This week I did a word search on “thanks” in the New Testament. I made one very interesting observation. In the numerous occasions for which thanksgiving is mentioned (and there are over 60), every one of them is giving thanks to God. All of them. Not thanks to people, but exclusively to God.
Not that giving thanks to people is at all bad. A healthy expression of appreciation for people and their work says much about how we value one another. Notes and cards of thanks are as common at FBC as coffee in Seattle. But giving thanks is not just a Christian thing. Surely Christians aren’t the only ones who give out cards. Christians aren’t the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving. The heavy emphasis of thanks to God caused me to consider what makes a believer’s thanks different than the world’s? The key difference is seen in the Scriptures.
Clearly throughout the Bible God is seen as the source of all good things. As children of God, everything we have is due to God in our life. Actually, that is true of those who don’t worship God as well – they just don’t realize it or acknowledge it. The marked difference between a child of God and a child of the world is seen in who they give thanks to. Giving thanks to God is at the very core of our life as God’s children. Give thanks to God the Father for everything. That is the mark of the Christian life. If you have time read these verses:
- Colossians 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2
- 1 Thess. 5:18
- 2 Corinthians 9:12
To consider:
A gauge of your walk with God might be measured by your thankfulness quotient. How often do you give thanks to God? Outside of prayer before meals (which is important), when do you give thanks to God for something? How often do you thank God throughout the day? The mark of a Christian is a thankful heart. Consider how you can shine the light of thankfulness to God to the world this week.
