Thanks-Living


In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
(1Th 5:18)


Saying ‘thank you’ is an expected response from any polite saved or unsaved person (Matt 5:47). This verbiage can be shallow or hollow and may not derive from a truly thankful life. But the apostle tells us to ‘give’ thanks, not just saying it. This giving of thanks has to come out of abundance, because we can’t ‘give’ if we don’t possess. That is the reason why Paul who was shown how great things he must suffer for Jesus name’s sake (Acts 9:16) can give thanks in worst of conditions. More than that, he gloried in his infirmities because he understood suffering is nothing in comparison to what the Son of God has done for him on the cross (2 Cor 11:23-30). Thankfulness is not a flippant exercise, but one that have a deep encounter with the Living God and known the amazing grace of God that ‘saved a wretch like me’ (John Newton) . Meet a suffering man or woman whose life is full of thankfulness, we have met one that will exclaim ‘Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?’ (1Ch 17:16).


Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(Php 4:6-7)


Peace is a companion to a life that exuberates with thanksgiving. Shallow prayers not out of a thankful life won’t keep us, opening doors for attacks from evil, discouragement, depression and bitterness. Thankful prayers spares us from fretting and gives us divine confidence, thus we wait only upon God, for our expectation is from Him and not any other source (Psa 62:5). Relying on other sources is like leaning on bruised reed that can pierce us (2Ki 18:21) and bring about disappointment which may lead to bitterness. Thankful prayers are powerful spiritual weapons against the unseen enemy, standing our ground in the victory Christ has already won for us (Eph 6:13).