Grace Awakens Thankfulness

“… always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).

“All around us is fuel for the fire of thanks if we will but notice.” ––Jon Bloom

“It is one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.” ––Tim Keller.

“The way of seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives a rest of heart, and, more than that, a gayety of spirit, that is unspeakable.” ––Hannah Whitall Smith

Paul writes from prison, chained like a criminal, to his fellow believers in Ephesus from his own thankful heart exhorting them to be thankful “for everything.” Paul is suffering in prison as he joins himself to the humiliation of the cross. His exhortation unto thankfulness carries weight. It is easy to be thankful when the sun is bright and shining, and life is progressing along a smooth, uninterrupted path. But Paul is thankful while suffering injustice, having had his freedom wrongly taken from him.  

The apostle was able to be thankful while being incarcerated unjustly because of the sufficiency of glorious grace that descended upon his life. Paul knew he was not abandoned because the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was very real to him, uplifting his soul and giving him eternal hope. We, like Paul, are thankful during days of trial and difficulty as we are undergirded and fortified by the presence of the Spirit who imparts to us sufficient grace (2 Cor 12:9).

The will of God for us who have received unmerited grace is to be always thankful for all that God bestows upon us throughout life’s journey (Rom 8:28). If we endure distress for the cause of Christ we rejoice and are thankful as we express the delight of joining into the sufferings of the cross (2 Cor 12:10). 

We are thankful that our Master counts us faithful by allowing us to participate in the weakness of the cross. We experience the rejection of this world and with a thankful heart we fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24).

Thankfulness becomes a weapon in spiritual warfare to overcome the attacks of the enemy. The devil flees from the shouts of praise and thanksgiving from the children of God as they overcome amid the battle, crushing his head (Rom 16:20).   

For the Apostle the foundation of a thankful heart is the knowledge of our relationship with Christ that we are “in him” in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). We are “in him” and he lives gloriously within us (Col 1:27) and this knowledge overflows with thanksgiving for such an unspeakable gift.  

Thanksgiving is an expression of humility and dependence on a gracious God. Imparted from heaven and internalized on earth grace changes us from selfish unthankful people into people who through the Holy Spirit live as joyful, thankful servants. Thanksgiving is a bowed heart of appreciation and amazement to the Almighty who cares for us even though we are nothing (Ps 8:4; Ps 103:15-16).

We live in the atmosphere of grace with a thankful heart, receiving moment by moment the benefits of Calvary’s outpouring of unconditional love. In thanksgiving we stand in awe of the One who loved us in our rebellion and redeemed us out of our slavery.

With a never-ending thankfulness founded on God’s never-ending mercy and love we stand with open hearts to receive grace upon grace that transforms us and fuels our lives (John 1:16). With a heart filled with gratitude he teaches us the joy of being gracious as he is gracious––of giving more than receiving––of blessing rather than being blessed as an unending shower of lovingkindness comes down upon us from heaven (Acts 20:35; see Malachi 3:10).

We thank our Lord and Savior that from his heavenly storehouse he showers comfort and compassion upon our lives that satisfies every longing. As the Spirit sanctifies us we see more clearly and more fully appreciate God’s fatherly love for his children. We marvel that he would in his love make us like himself, daily changing us “with ever–increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18). We bow our heads in humble thankfulness for his eternal plan of restoration, so richly and freely bringing us out of our fallenness.

Having been saved and set apart through Christ’s death and resurrection we are now by faith alive in him. When we contemplate such a salvation freely given we wonder how we can ever thank him enough? Wanting to thank him “for everything,” eternity will not be long enough to express our thankfulness to the One who gave his all for us.