Where did anyone get the idea that God does not tell us how to live? There are over 1,000 commands in the New Testament! Some of these are repeats – mentioned in two or more places. Some of these are not applicable to us – commands given in specific circumstances to specific individuals. Yet, setting these aside, there are still hundreds of commands with direct application to us.
Of these commands, which are most often broken? God only knows. But, if we were privy to that information, we might be surprised to learn that the simplest commands are frequently the most difficult to carry out and, hence, the most often broken. Thanksgiving is one such command.
Have we cultivated the art of expressing thanks? In the one body, we are commanded to “be thankful” (Col. 3:15). Paul reinforces this simple command in verse 17, saying, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” In Philippians 4:6, Paul draws a close connection between thankful prayer and overcoming the problem of anxiety. God’s will for us in Christ Jesus is to be thankful in every situation (1 Th. 5:18).
Gratitude is man’s response to his own sense of indebtedness to the love and blessing of the Lord. Are we loved? Are we blessed? If so, be thankful.
— Glen Elliott —