Be Thankful And Give Thanks

Feature 1 – November 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Be Thankful And Give Thanks

The best way for a Christian to continually give thanks to God is to be a Christian who is continually thankful for God; in order to give thanks, one must be thankful. The principle of giving thanks to God for all things flows from being thankful for God and everything that He has done for us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Col. 3:15,17).

Such a believer has the big picture; he understands that he should “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Th. 5:18 NKJV). His life will be free of anxiety and worry because of his confidence in God as seen in his prayer life. Dependence on God will be characterized by prayer, supplication and thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). The thankful Christian also has the “word of Christ” dwelling in him, which results in an overflowing heart of worship and thanksgiving (Col. 3:16). Then he will do all work in the name of Jesus and for God’s glory. Lastly, the saint who is not grumbling but is instead constantly giving thanks to God is filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18,20). The proper Christian conduct and attitude of giving thanks can only result from being thankful to God and being thankful for God.

Be Thankful
In the first chapter of Colossians the apostle Paul reminded the saints of the greatness of Christ. He is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation. Christ Jesus created all things, and through Him all things consist. He is head of the church, which is His body. And wonderfully we are told, “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:19-20).

Christians have a lot for which to be thankful. We have been reconciled to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. “You, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled” (1:21). Earlier, Paul told the saints we were “delivered … from the power of darkness and conveyed … into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (vv.13-14). Our great Savior has done so much for us; no wonder we are told to “be thankful” (3:15). After emphasizing the greatness of Christ and the greatness of His work in Colossians 1, the apostle taught we are raised and seated with Him.

Precious principles are unfolded concerning our conduct on earth. We are not to live in the Adamic nature but to live in the new man. We are told to put on love, let the peace of God rule in our hearts and be thankful. Thankfulness is the hallmark – the mark of genuineness. God has done so much for us, and we are to be extremely grateful. If we have an attitude of thankfulness for all that God has done in Christ, then we can give thanks to Him freely.

Give Thanks In All Things
Most of us are thankful for good things, as they make us happy. We appreciate them, and as a result we express our thankfulness. But believers are told something that may seem odd to the world, as we can see in a verse quoted earlier: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Th. 5:18). How can a believer give thanks “in everything”?

It is because he has confidence in God; he trusts God’s judgment and God’s will. It has already been established that the Christian is thankful for God and all that He has done in Christ. He knows of God’s love for him. It has been proven. Now he can give thanks in everything. He can give thanks for the blessings and give thanks in the sufferings. Again, he has confidence in God’s will for him. In the context of this verse, God’s will is individual – “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (v.18).

There are numerous examples in Scripture of those who gave thanks in difficult situations. Consider Joseph in Genesis 37–50. He was hated by his brothers and thrown into a pit. Then he was sold to Midianite traders and wound up a slave in Potiphar’s house. Falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph landed in the king’s prison. There he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker. The butler, who was released from prison, promised to mention him to Pharaoh but forgot. It took two full years before the butler remembered Joseph, but we see the will of God for Joseph in these sufferings.

Joseph, understanding the will of God in all that he had gone through, made four powerful statements to his brothers, who had treated him badly:

• “Do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5).
• “God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (v.7).
• “It was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt” (v.8).
• “Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive’” (50:19-20).

In the end, Joseph saw the hand of God directing him. God’s plan was to put Joseph in the position to save Israel and many other nations during a famine. He saw the will of God. Similarly, Christians can readily give thanks in everything. They know that God is with them, and they look to see what He is doing to accomplish His will.

Give Thanks In Prayer
Thanksgiving should be an integral part of the Christian’s prayer life. Paul, by the Spirit of God, taught the saints at Philippi the cure for anxiety: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

The believer is not exempted from the difficulties of life, and like the unbeliever, he may experience a heavy heart and a troubled mind. However, the Lord Jesus Christ makes the difference in the believer’s life. The Christian can pray, for the apostle Peter wrote: “… casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). Prayer is how the believer communicates with God; it is essential. It shows dependence on and confidence in Him. Prayer is the believer’s anchor. Instead of becoming anxious, he should pray. The believer takes his worries to God in prayer and leaves them there.

Paul used a second term: “supplication” (Phil. 4:6). “To supplicate” is to ask earnestly. It is reverently begging God for His help, who is more than willing to help His children. Paul did not stop there. The believer should give thanks to God for who He is, for what He has done and for what He will do. He should give God thanks for being with him. The result is the peace of God. God’s peace surpasses understanding. What a great resource for the believer: prayer, supplication, thanksgiving and peace.

Do not forget to give God thanks during prayer. He deserves our thanksgiving and worship.

Thankfulness In The Soul
Thankful believers are able to sing in their hearts to the Lord (Col. 3:16). It is a wonderful song that only the Lord hears. This is truly worship. In a world of grumblers and complainers, the Lord Jesus Christ can receive worship, praise and thanksgiving from His people individually and collectively. Praise Him!

But let us note that there are prerequisites. The believers must have the peace of God ruling in their hearts and be in unity. They should be in a state of thankfulness (v.15). The word of Christ is to dwell in them richly in all wisdom. The saints are admonished and taught in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. The result is singing to the Lord.

Now all deeds are to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thanksgiving is given “to God the Father through Him” (v.17). Notice that the end of verse 15 says, “be thankful,” and the end of verse 17 uses the words “giving thanks.” It is a lesson that we need to learn and can by simply reflecting on all that we have been given. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Let us ponder our spiritual blessings and consider our daily natural blessings. Then, we will echo the sons of Korah: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme, I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Ps. 45:1).

The Holy Spirit
The walk of the believer is discussed in Ephesians. “Walk” is symbolic of the Christian’s life; it is how he conducts himself in this world. In Ephesians 5:15 Paul encouraged the believers to “walk circumspectly,” or carefully and prudently. They should walk wisely. He contrasted the walk of the believers with the walk of those in the world. Believers should make good use of time by preaching the gospel with their lives and voices. Believers need to know the will of God.

The world is full of those who seek the earthly pleasure of alcohol, but God says instead that we should “be filled with the [Holy] Spirit” (v.18). The result of being filled with the Holy Spirit is similar to what happens when the word of Christ dwells in them richly, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vv.19-20). What an amazing result!

The Holy Spirit empowers the believers to live godly lives in a wicked world. He produces the image of Christ in their lives. As a result, Christ is magnified, God is glorified, and the believers are satisfied. The joy Christians experience enables them to always give thanks to God for all things (v.21). This cannot be accomplished by willpower or determination. It cannot be accomplished by the Christian’s own volition, or self-will. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. There is much in the world with which to be dissatisfied or complain about. Yet, the Holy Spirit is able to make the child of God always grateful and thankful. His divine power gives us joy and empowers us to be thankful.

Give Thanks By Being Thankful
The world is full of optimists and pessimists. The optimist, who is by nature positive, will always see the good in any circumstance. The pessimist, who is by nature negative, will always see the bad in any circumstance. As Christians we should be known as those who are eternally grateful and thankful. We have so much for which to be thankful. Unable to be boastful, we can only be thankful. We should continually give God thanks, and this can only be accomplished by being thankful for God.

By Albert Stuart