We must remember that thanksgiving isn't just about what we do on one day, one weekend or one month of the year. Thanksgiving is not even simply a matter of what we say. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle.
On many occasions the Bible calls us to a life of gratitude. Colossians 3:17, for example, urges us with these words: "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
Two things, I would like us to think about today based on this verse and the phrase “whatever you do or say.” The first is, “whatever you do and say” ought to be carried out "as a representative of the Lord Jesus." Some translations put it, "in the name of the Lord Jesus," emphasizing that we are to seek to live the Jesus’ way and to be faithful to his purposes.
The second thing, “whatever you do or say,” are carried our in the spirit of "giving thanks" to God the Father through Jesus. Now this is not saying that we are to pause and offer a prayer of thanks to God after every action or every conversation. I believe what is being said here is that followers of Jesus act and speak thankfully. Put another way, we are to live each moment with an awareness of God's grace at work in our lives and in the world. We are to receive all of life and do all that we do with an awareness that we are living by grace.
Living thankfully gives God the praise he deserves. That is a good reason to live thankfully. Isn’t it? But living thankfully also changes us. It gives us a deeper appreciation of life. It guides us away from focusing too much on our struggles. Thankful living enables us to see God's presence even in hard times. It motivates us to live each moment of each day for God. This kind of Gratitude or thankful living enables us, to "glorify God and enjoy him forever," as the old confession says.
Together let us continue to hear and live the advice of Scripture: "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
TAKE AWAY
What helps you live thankfully each day?
What gets in the way of your gratitude?
What might you do differently to help you act and speak with thankfulness?
Let Us Pray
Help me God, I pray, to be thankful to you in all that I do and say. May thanksgiving become a true habit of mind, heart, and action. May I learn to acknowledge you with expressed thanks, both to you and in the presence of others. May I see your gifts and delight in them.
Amen.
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