“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17).
We owe everything to God, so why is it so hard to say “Thank You” to Him? I think a lot of it has to do with pride. When we thank someone for what they’ve done, we admit that we need others, and it humbles us. Christians have much to be thankful for. We know that God created everything, and it’s all designed for our existence. We should thank Him for that. We also know that we are sinners who were bound for eternity in Hell, but through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance, we are sinners saved by grace. That’s another reason to thank God.
The closer we draw to God, the more we realize we have much to be thankful for. We can look back on life and remember things that we prayed very hard for, but God didn’t seem to hear or care. It’s only in looking back that we can see how wrong it would have been if those prayers were answered with a yes instead of a no. Maybe you were madly in love with your high school sweetheart but broke up after graduation. Your heart was broken. Where was God? Why didn’t He jump to answer your prayer? Then a class reunion comes along, and there’s the person you were so in love with. Their choices in life have left them bankrupt and jobless, and possibly in trouble with the law. Thank God for saying no to your prayer.
Any good parent will tell their child no if the thing that child wants is bad for them. God is our Father, and He knows more about the future than we do and only wants what’s best for us. Instead of blaming Him for things that you think are wrong in your life, take time to be thankful even if you don’t understand His reasons.
The Apostle Paul had plenty of times in his life that he surely wasn’t able to understand why God allowed circumstances to happen, but gave thanks anyway. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
For instance, how could he understand how a shipwreck could be useful to the Lord? If it had happened to me, I’m sure I would have questioned why. In Paul’s case, he was able to use it as an evangelizing tool. Paul most likely couldn’t understand the reason that he was beaten and imprisoned. This was also a witnessing tool. In Philippi, the way he handled his beating and being put in jail in chains brought the jail warden, and possibly his fellow prisoners, to salvation. When he was under arrest in Rome, he wrote many letters which still encourage and teach us today.
So, when your circumstances are harsh and you don’t understand why, remember to give thanks for everything. You don’t have to be thankful for the circumstances; just be thankful in the circumstances. Then, use it as a witnessing tool. Others are facing hardship and can take encouragement from you.
When you give thanks to God in whatever situation you happen to find yourself, you will find that you have a peaceful outlook on the situation. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing on another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Christians need to represent Christ in all things and show His compassion for others. It isn’t always easy, but it always shows our gratefulness for what He did for us. Christ humbly laid down His life so we can be forgiven. His love for us caused Him to suffer the greatest of pain that can be imagined. He did it willingly to take our sin away, so shouldn’t we humbly forgive others as He forgave us? Absolutely. “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14).
That word “charity” is translated from the word “agape.” This is how we can thank God for what He has done for us. We can care for others with charity (agape love) and kindness. We need to love and take care of each other. You might be surprised how many brothers and sisters in Christ need some charity. An older widow I know is having a tough time dealing with the daily struggles of maintaining her house, such as dealing with plumbing troubles and other home repairs. She could use help from fellow Christians. “Honour widows that are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:3).
It’s really the duty of Christians to care for our brothers and sisters. This is how we can show God that we are thankful. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
Each of us becomes a part of the body of Christ when we understand that we have sinned against God, we repent of our sin, and we accept His forgiveness for salvation. That means we become His hands and feet (parts of His body) to care for and help brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank Him by caring for each other. Just as we care for our own body by taking care of our needs for nutrition, clothing, and shelter, we show God our thanks by caring for the body of Christ.
Are you serving Christ by sharing His love with others? Wherever you live and whatever situation in which you find yourself, you can share God’s love. Remember that Christians always need to show our thanks to Jesus by representing Him in whatever we do. Whether you are at work or at play, show God that you are thankful. Choose to speak gentle words and be a peacemaker. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Jesus commanded us to share the Gospel with the lost. His final command before He ascended to Heaven was to preach the Gospel. He told His disciples, “And he said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mark 16:15).
Jesus promised that signs would follow them in their obedience. They thanked Him by obeying His command, and because they were obedient, people today have heard the Gospel and have found salvation through Jesus’ shed blood. “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:20).
That command needs to be heeded today. We need to care for brothers and sisters in Christ and share the Gospel with the lost.
We show God that we are thankful by obeying Him. Share the Gospel with the lost and take care of the body of Christ.
God bless you all
Nathele Graham
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