Thanksgiving = Giving Thanks

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 stands in scripture among many bible verses reminding us to give thanks. I will not even attempt to offer a comprehensive list of these many verses reminding us to be thankful (much to the relief of most readers).

 

http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/thanksgiving-bible-verses/ is but one web page resulting from a simple google search for verses about being thankful (and anyone reading this post can generate hundreds of search results in the same way).

I want to focus on this one verse in an attempt to offer a short focused blog on the topic which can be read, absorbed and lived out easily (at least the read and absorb part can be done in minutes, the “live out” portion will take years LOL).

 

Let’s take a look at this one verse:

“4. I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5. For in Him you have been enriched in every way – with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.” -NIV

“4. Every time I think of you – and I think of you often – I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. 5. There’s no end to what has happened in you – it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge.” – The Message

 

These two verses not only point out the need to be thankful (a good starting place for humility for any believer). They also point out that we need to recognize:

1. what blessings we have received,
2. that we don’t deserve any of them,
3. who the giver of the blessings is,
4. what the proper display of appreciation to the giver (rather than simply focusing on the blessings themselves)

so, with introspection:

1. what blessings have you received ?
2. do you deserve anything you have been given freely?
3. do you really “get” who gave you those blessings?
4. are you really living a life of appreciation to the giver?

James 1:17, Isaiah 10:13 both tell us who the Giver of all good things is.

John 1:1-3 shows us that the Lord Jesus Christ, brought all things into existence through Himself. John 14:6 records our Lord saying “I am the Way, Truth, and Life and no one comes to the Father but through me”

The very source of each life is Jesus Christ Himself. He gives us life, breath, a hospitable planet to stand on. He gives us His Word to read and regenerate brains to understand who He is and all He has given us. (and in case you missed the point, that would be every blood cell flowing in the veins and arteries intricately woven by His fingers, every beat of your heart pumping those blood cells around in your body, distributing oxygen (atoms which He made as well), held in an atmosphere He made around a planet He made, orbiting a star He made, etc, etc, etc …)

We owe complete gratitude to Him for everything we are and have (and even the have nots).

He gave Himself up for us after we rejected Him and chose to ignore all He gave and gives to restore the relationship we willing destroyed.

So let me ask again:

1. what blessings have your received ?
2. do you deserve anything you have been given freely?
3. do you really “get” who gave you those blessings?
4. are you really living a life of appreciation to the giver?

Ask Him to work in your heart to help you be more thankful.

After all, “thanksgiving” is a verb and does not exist as a reality unless we are really giving thanks !!

 

εν διακονια τω θεω, Dave Cadieux