Giving thanks is an expression of contentment or gratitude. Being thankful implies an appropriate attitude of being grateful. Accordingly, in the Bible, thanks or thanksgiving denotes an inward disposition that animates outward expression. Throughout the Scriptures, we are consequently exhorted to give thanks to God both for who He is and what He has done. For example, Psalm 106:1 says:
Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
One of the ways that our joy in the Lord is made complete is through thanks. Giving thanks edifies and satisfies the soul, in contrast to ingratitude (and the resultant complaining), which leaves a person’s soul depleted. Not only is ingratitude a great injustice against heaven, but it also shuts God’s ears, closes His hand, and turns His grace away. Consider that at the end of Romans 1, the apostle Paul describes to us many of the dreadful consequences of ingratitude. In Romans 1:21 he writes:
For even though [the Gentiles] knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.
What we can therefore infer from these verses (and from the rest of Romans 1) is that ingratitude is one of the first steps on the path to perdition, which is paved with futility of mind, foolishness, wickedness, greed, evil, murder, and malice. Hence, not giving thanks or ingratitude is both destructive for the individual and it also separates them from the only One who is all-satisfying: God Himself. Separation from God results in the progressive unraveling of a person.
And so, while ingratitude leads to misery, gratitude leads to joy and contentment. Being thankful opens God’s ears and hand because it communicates to our Father that “I am a grateful child.” A grateful child is a favored one. In the words of the Puritan Thomas Brooks, thanksgiving (from Works):
“[T]akes the crown from ourselves, and sets it on the head of our Creator. It is a grace that gives God supremacy in our hearts, thoughts, desires, words, and works. Thankfulness is a free-will offering. Nothing so clearly and fully speaks of your sincerity. The little birds, after a sip of water, never fail to look up as if they meant to give thanks. So we should give thanks for every drop of grace.”
It is clear, then, that thanksgiving has power because it is a self-denying grace; it sets the mind and heart of the creature on the kindness of the Creator. Consequently, for the one whose lips are dripping with thanks, his heart will be filled with blessings. Accordingly, in this episode, I hope to stir your soul to thankfulness by bringing three observations from Scripture to your attention. These observations testify to the power of thanks.
Observation One: Thanksgiving sanctifies
A heart that is consumed by actively thanking God will not be consumed by sin. To illustrate this point, I will read Ephesians 5:1-4, which talks about walking in love. I am going to omit the final word in these verses in order to demonstrate a point. So Ephesians 5:1-4 says:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be [blank].
If a Christian did not already have these verses memorized and were asked to fill in the blank, they likely would not be able to guess what the last word in Ephesians 5:4 is. Again, the text says:
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be [blank].
One would think the text would say, “but instead let there be holiness” or “purity” or “righteousness.” Interestingly, what the text does say is “but instead let there be thanksgiving.” The apostle Paul is therefore exhorting those in the church to put off sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, and improper speech by practicing thanksgiving. According to divine logic, then, God’s design for us nudges us to see that the freedom we have with our bodies ought not to be used for sinful self-gratification but rather God-glorification. God’s design for us also nudges us to see that the freedom we have with our tongues ought not to be used for crassness or making light or fun of things. Instead, we are called to honor the Lord with language. In both instances, the outward expression reflects an inward attitude that our bodies are a gift from God and that we are responsible to Him for how we use it. He is faithful in sanctifying us through our thanksgiving when we trust that these instructions are provided in His word for our edification. The grace that we need for our sanctification is thus secured by giving thanks for what has God has done, and what He has faithfully promised to do.
Thanksgiving sanctifies because it transforms us on the inside and thus how we express ourselves with our bodies. If anyone is skeptical about this connection, I invite you to test it in reality. Wake up every day and give thanks to God for something. Start a gratitude journal. Aim to tell someone else daily something you are thankful to God for. Then watch and see if God will bless those who trust His promises.
Observation Two: There is more need of thanks and praise than there is of prayer requests
In Isaiah 6, the prophet has a vision of the Almighty God, high and exalted and sitting on His throne. Above the throne were heavenly creatures called seraphim. These creatures were in the direct presence of the Lord, so—unlike us right now—they could behold the glory and majesty of God by sight. And in response, what were the seraphim doing? Isaiah 6:3 tells us:
They were calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The seraphim were praising God, and in doing so expressed thanks for the demonstration of God’s glory. These heavenly creatures were so in awe of the Lord that their response was an overflow of worship. This text helps us to see that the closer one is to God, the more they treasure Him; the more one appreciates His kindness and mercy, the deeper is the well of one’s thanks. The application for us here and now is simple: our mercies outweigh our needs. Therefore, there is more need of thanks and praise than there is of prayer requests. There is a greater need to be grateful for who God is and what He has already done than to ask for something more. Just as one sin always brings others down with it, one grace is supported by others: thanksgiving is thus intimately linked to contentment.
The child of God should consider the multitudes of mercies they enjoy, both temporal and spiritual. For example, in the epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul prays that the eyes of their hearts be opened to supernatural realities that impart eternal blessings:
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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (Ephesians 1:3-4)
Consider that God has passed over so many, yet He chose to bestow a particular grace on you to open your eyes to the truth. Consider that for those who are born again, God has already blessed you with the greatest grace—salvation—which will bear fruit in eternity. Consider that all of our mercies are the results of God’s unmerited favor but also that so many of our needs and miseries are merited by our sins. Let us be thankful for mercy is undeserved: It flows upon us from the free love and favor of God. The only appropriate response is:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His faithfulness is everlasting. (Psalm 136:1)
Observation Three: Thanksgiving boosts assurance and demonstrates readiness for heaven
Revelation chapter 4 describes a scene in heaven in which creatures worship before the throne of God. There, we gain insight into what the invisible Church is consumed with in heaven: worshipping the Creator. So, while the church on earth undergoes various trials (Chapters 2-3), the church in heaven does not cease to praise the Lord. Consequently, Revelation 4:8-11 says:
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
The verse I want to draw your attention to specifically is Revelation 4:9:
[T]he living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever. (italics mine)
Yes, the heavenly creatures experience God by sight. But because they behold the Lord in all His splendor, they recognize that everything else pales in comparison. They see that God is of first importance and their response is to praise and thank him. You see, in heaven, there are no prayers but all praise and thanksgiving. Hence, the one who is full of thanksgiving here and now imitates and joins in unity with the chorus of angels; such a soul expresses words that harmonize with heaven’s melodies. Thus, a persuasive argument for a person’s readiness for heaven is if they are already doing heaven’s work on earth. There might be a person who objects and say they have very little, and thus little reason for gratitude. Well, remember: there is no better way to get more grace than to be thankful for what little you already have. Psalm 30:4 states:
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. (italics mine)
The human heart is inclined both to forget and not to be thankful for the small measures of grace that God bestows. Yet ironically, we are prone to be thankful for the least courtesies of other people. This is what compels us to remember that one drop of grace from heaven is of more value than the whole world. The Christian ought always to consider: God has entered your heart with saving grace while most people on Earth will never know such a gift. Had the Lord not freely bestowed grace on you, then you would be as evil as the vilest reprobate. What would a condemned man in hell give but for one drop of grace from the throne of heaven? What God has given His children now is regeneration, faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, and the promise to never let go. Meditate on this and be thankful.
I will close with a quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Scripture. Spurgeon once said in a sermon titled “Prayer perfumed with praise”:
“The constant tenor and spirit of our lives should be adoring gratitude, love, reverence, and thanksgiving to the Most High.”
Finally, Psalm 9:1-2 says:
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will rejoice and be jubilant in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal