“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15).
Gratitude is a natural part of being a Christian. One who is not thankful is characterized as one who turns from God. Paul wrote to the Roman brethren, “Because that , when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom. 1:21). Being thankful can be expressed in so many ways. Consider three.
1. Prayer. How can the Christian not thank the Lord in prayer? Paul stated of prayer, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1). One does not have to look long in Paul’s letters to the brethren to see his thanksgiving to God for fellow Christians (cf. Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philemon 4). How much do Christians need other Christians? When a loved one is sick, there are prayers for their recovery. When there is healing, there should be prayers of thanksgiving. When a blessing comes in many different ways, being grateful should be a genuine expression. Thank you cards are often sent to congregations due to the thoughtfulness of good people to show care. May it always be the case that gratitude is the attitude toward grace.
2. Praise. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). How many psalms are there which develop the theme of thanksgiving? It is written, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Ps. 100:4). The very concept of Paul’s words “sing with grace in your hearts” (Col. 3:16) reveals this same concept of praising the Lord through thanksgiving. There is one translation that gives these very words: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16, ESV). How can the Christian who comprehends the great gift of salvation through Christ not sing with thanksgiving? It is as Paul wrote, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).
3. Practice of Life. Paul closed the paragraph of Colossians 3:12-17 with the words, “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” (Col. 3:17). Notice here that the life of the Christian is to reflect both in word and work a gratitude for all that God has done through Christ. One would be an ingrate to have such blessings and then live contrary to the authority of the Lord. One is to pattern their life after the model of Christ. John wrote, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). Paul wrote to the Philippian brethren, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:9). A life that is so attune with the qualities taught in the Bible is the godly, grateful life.
Jimmy Clark