As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, we're reminded that gratitude isn't merely a polite custom or a seasonal sentiment, it's a transformative spiritual discipline that ushers us into the very peace of God. Despite the anxiety, division, and uncertainty that the world offers, the practice of thanksgiving offers something our souls desperately need: divine shalom that transcends our circumstances.
The apostle Paul, whom many scholars have rightly called "the apostle of Thanksgiving," understood this connection intimately. His words in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 challenge us at the deepest level: "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Notice Paul doesn't say to give thanks for good things only, but ineverything. This isn't naive optimism, it's a robust theology that recognizes God's sovereignty and redemptive power in every circumstance of our lives.
Gratitude as God's Will for Your Life
We might wish that 1 Thessalonians 5:18 wasn't in Scripture. It's one of those verses that confronts our human nature directly. Yet Paul goes even further in Ephesians 5:20, teaching that we're to “give thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Why such radical gratitude? Because we serve a God who is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and full of love for us. Unlike our finite selves, God can cause even the terrible, bad things that happen to us to turn out for good. He's in the restoring business. He renews and restores us. This divine capacity to redeem our suffering doesn't minimize our pain, it sanctifies it and transforms it into something that serves His purposes and our ultimate good.
"We serve a God who can cause even the worst things that happen to us to turn out for His good. We can't do that. We're finite, but we serve a God who is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and full of love for us."
The Spiritual Danger of Ingratitude
In Romans 1:21, Paul signals that ingratitude is the first step down toward apostasy: "Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened."
Thanklessness isn't merely a character flaw; it's a spiritual crisis. When we lose our sense of awe and wonder from our salvation, when we take for granted that Jesus has forgiven us and loved us with an undying love, when we forget that He took on flesh for you and me, our hearts begin to darken. We drift from the light.
I want to challenge you: never lose that sense of awe and wonder at your salvation. The moment we stop being astonished by grace is the moment we begin to slip spiritually. Let us never stop being thankful.
Gratitude: The Gateway to Peace and Every Virtue
The Roman philosopher Cicero observed that "gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all other virtues." This ancient wisdom aligns beautifully with scriptural truth. When we cultivate gratitude, it stimulates other great spiritual gifts and practices in our lives.
Consider how gratitude connects to peace in Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Notice the sequence: thanksgiving is acknowledging God’s grace and providence which reminds us where we can find our comfort: God's shalom. His comprehensive peace that touches every dimension of our existence flows through the channel of grateful prayer.
James 1:17 reminds us that "every good and perfect gift comes from God." When we recognize this truth, gratitude becomes our natural response. We acknowledge that we haven't accomplished anything on our own. This is a good dose of humility. I'm not doing what I do today because I'm particularly talented or effective—I'm the recipient of God's grace and the stewardship of many people God has brought into my life to mentally challenge me, keep me accountable, and speak deeply into my life.
The Mental and Physical Benefits of Gratitude
If you want to measure your mental health right now, I would look at your ability to personally express gratitude. Modern psychological research has confirmed what Scripture has taught for millennia—gratitude profoundly affects our wellbeing. Did you know that gratitude can:
- Strengthen your immune system
- Lower your blood pressure
- Make you stronger and healthier overall
- Improve your mental resilience and emotional stability
When we're people of thanksgiving, it confirms that we didn't accomplish anything on our own. It's a beautiful expression of humility and dependence on God. This recognition frees us from the crushing burden of self-sufficiency and opens us to receive the peace that comes from trusting our heavenly Father.
Cultivating Creative Gratitude in Your Life
I want to encourage you to be creative with how you express your gratitude. Don't let thanksgiving become rote or mechanical. In our home, we have a birthday tradition where everyone goes around and tells the birthday person how much they mean to us. Why? Because as someone who has officiated many funerals, I began to notice people would say things at a coffin that they wished they would have said when the person was alive. So my wife Audrey and I established this tradition: when it's your birthday, we all tell you how much we love you, how much we adore you, and how much we love being related to you.
What creative expressions of gratitude could you establish in your home, your church, or your community? How might you move beyond perfunctory "thank you's" to genuine expressions of appreciation that builds others up and glorifies God?
Think about Luke 17:17, where Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to give thanks. Jesus asked, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" This passage challenges us: Are we among the nine who receive God's blessings but fail to return with gratitude? Or are we the one who falls at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving?
Consider David's exuberant worship in 2 Samuel 6:14, where he literally danced in praise before God. David's gratitude wasn't constrained by social convention or personal dignity, it overflowed in extravagant worship. When was the last time your gratitude moved you to such abandon?
Living with Grateful Responsibility
Luke 12:48 provides an important framework for our gratitude: "To whom much is given, much is required." As we cultivate thanksgiving, we must also recognize that our blessings come with responsibility. We've been given much, including salvation, grace, forgiveness, eternal life, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and Christian community. What is required of us in response?
This is where gratitude transforms from feeling to action, from sentiment to mission. Our thanksgiving should propel us toward faithful stewardship of all God has entrusted to us—our time, talents, treasures, relationships, and influence.
Conclusion: Gratitude as a Way of Life
As we approach Thanksgiving, let's embrace gratitude not as a seasonal sentiment but as a transformative way of life that ushers us into God's peace. Remember that Paul could command thanksgiving "in everything" because he knew our God specializes in redemption. He takes what the enemy meant for evil and transforms it for good. He brings beauty from ashes, joy from mourning, and praise from despair.
The mission of Christian Thinkers Society is "teaching Christians how to become thinkers and thinkers how to become Christians." Gratitude is both intellectually rigorous and spiritually transformative. It requires us to think deeply about God's character, His providence, and His purposes. It demands that we examine our lives with honest humility, recognizing our dependence on divine grace. And it draws us into deeper relationship with the One who is the source of every good gift.
My challenge to you this week: Be defined as a person of gratitude. Never lose your sense of awe at what Christ has done for you. Let thanksgiving become the posture of your heart, the lens through which you view every circumstance, and the gateway through which God's supernatural peace floods your soul.
To whom much is given, much is required. You've been given the unspeakable gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. How will gratitude shape your response?
Reflection Questions:
- When you consider Romans 1:21, where in your life might ingratitude be creating spiritual darkness?
- How can you creatively express gratitude in your relationships this week?
- What "bad situation” in your life do you need to trust God to redeem, and how might gratitude change your perspective on it?
- Are you among the nine who receive God's blessings without returning thanks, or the one who falls at Jesus' feet in gratitude? </aside>
Be sure to check out the Peace of God Study Bible with special devotional notes by Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD
