Let's Talk About Thanks!

Collectively, the Adams-Brown family has experienced loss this year. Most notably, Aunt Willie Mae’s transition in July followed by Uncle Roy’s passing a few weeks later. This Thanksgiving message is dedicated to those who have personally experienced loss in 2021 and are facing a holiday season that undoubtedly will be a constant reminder of that loss. Please know that as we pass through this thing called life, we will have many tribulations. The loss of our precious family members can be seen as one of those challenges. I pray that if we would focus on the gift of the life of that mother, father, brother, etc. who is no longer with us, we will see God’s hand even in this. Our memory of a smile, shared laughter, words of wisdom and encouragement, etc. will be with us always. If we ask Him, He will provide the comfort that we need. Many prayers, blessings, and peace to you all.

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Sometimes our first impression of a thing is not necessarily the most important part of that thing. After taking a closer look, we are able to perceive the real value in something we might not have previously noticed. A case in point is the “Thankful” graphic on the left. The scripture highlighted here caught my attention after I initially was drawn in by the color scheme – some of my favorite colors – and layout of the graphic. More than that I became intrigued by the verses referenced, which are not ones that I recalled as most commonly quoted in terms of giving thanks. This powerful passage is given in its entirety below and includes the verses immediately preceding and following the originally quoted text to provide a bit more context.

Colossians 3:14-17

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

This scripture gives us an opening to examine the concept, importance, and power of giving thanks from different angles and perspectives. Thanks, these verses suggest, is something that does not stand alone. It partners with many invaluable, worthy traits including peace, love and unity. Since we know that God is love (1 John 4:8), we should thank Him for loving us and for giving us the awesome gift of love. The love that he gives us can be shared with family, friends, and strangers – even under the most trying circumstances. Through our love for God, we must thankfully serve Him in a way that is pleasing and worthy of His name. Thanks can be expressed through songs of gratitude. There are numerous praise and worship songs about thanks. Many were listed in a previous “Dropped in My Spirit” Thanksgiving message. These songs give us a way to show our reverence for the Lord by raising our voices and hands, moving our feet and bodies in our dance of praise and thanks. Being open to the Spirit through song settles our spirit and gives us a better disposition. Through this communion with the Lord, we can find peace for our souls. Why wouldn’t we give thanks for this? We are not preoccupied with the cares of the world and what we might perceive as transgressions against us when we are focused on giving thanks. Thanks can come through the teaching of the word that edifies those taught as well as the teacher. The more we know Him, the more gratitude we will develop for Him. Wisdom is also stipulated as a trait that we might develop as we become more conscious of the importance of giving thanks. We make better choices and are more good-natured Christians when we invite the spirit of thanks into our heart rather than one of ungratefulness. These verses also suggest our responsibility to do all that we set out to accomplish with the Creator in mind and give thanks. Having God in the forefront of our thoughts will keep us from actions that might lead us away from our Source, the only power and authority that really matters.

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Let us pause here to contemplate today’s message – Part 1 of the three-part “Thankful” series. Tomorrow, we will continue this discussion by viewing thanks through concepts including how we might order our petitions to the Lord, our role in ensuring effectual prayer, our union with God to affect his will in our life and His perfect timing.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven. We come before you today to lift you up and humbly offer our thanks. There are so many blessings that you freely give to us every moment of every day – life, breath, vision, and just the fact that we are still alive and reasonably well – through your grace and mercy. Father, there are no words that can adequately thank you for being our God. We thank you for the life of your Son that lives within us and the Holy Spirit that brings us closer to you. We thank you for your word and for the ways in which they enrich our life in ways that we are not even aware. We are thankful that you have brought us such a long way and ask that you continue to be with us. We ask all these things in the matchless name of an incomparable Jesus Christ. Amen.