Giving Thanks

“Thanks a LOT.”

Perhaps this phrase is uniquely American, but if you’ve heard this sentiment spoken the way it’s written here, delivered without any hint of a smile, what vocal expression might you imagine accompanying it? If used in response to an obviously undesirable occurrence, the tone was probably sarcastic, right? One can say, “Thank you” without an ounce of gratitude behind it.

Did you ever unwrap an unwelcome gift as a child, and even as you struggled to contain your disappointment, a parental voice said, “What do you say to your Aunt Arctica?” to which you obediently responded, “Tha-a-nk Yo-o-u-u.”

Now I’m not suggesting we throw away the lessons of graciousness our parents intended, but insincere thanks can become a way of life.

There’s something about an expression of gratitude that comes from the heart. We can thank someone out of a sense of obligation, but when it is a heartfelt thanks, what a difference it makes!

Even as Christians, we can offer grudging thanks because some preachers point out the Bible commands it. Reminiscent of that parental voice over the shoulder, they emphasize we’re commanded to love God and to give thanks. We’ve all heard being thankful taught as a “should,” a debt owed our Creator for all He has done. Of course God deserves it, but is obligatory thanks the kind anybody wants?

As I reflected on the following verse recently, I thought about the root of sincere thanksgiving.

…that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)

As the apostle Paul writes of the challenges and rewards of ministry, he points to the spread of grace ushering in abundant thanksgiving that glorifies God. When we truly receive God’s grace and believe in His love, we are naturally thankful. And as we focus on that grace, then thanksgiving abounds and brings even more glory to God. It reminds me of Psalm 100:4-5.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

When we focus on what we’re thankful for and recognize God as the loving, kind, and faithful Source, then we’ll not only be grateful in the present but we can also trust Him for the future.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

The Lord will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84:11-12)

May God help us to receive His grace and focus on our blessings, so that sincere thanksgiving overflows from our hearts, like it did for David: