Giving Thanks to God

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

NKJV

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States of America.  It is a day set aside in our nation to pause and reflect on those things for which we as a people should be thankful.  For those of us professing a belief in Jesus Christ, thanksgiving is more than just a day, it is a way of life (Colossians 3:17).  For those reading this that do not live in the United States, I want to welcome you to join us in reflecting on things for which to be thankful. 

Unfortunately, it has been a rough few weeks on our world and many may not have much for which to be thankful.  If that is you, I want to let you know many of those reading this and I are praying for you.  We are praying that God will grant you peace in your time of grief and sorrow.  If you already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we pray the peace of God, which already resides in your heart in the person of the Holy Spirit, will cover you and give you rest.  If you do not already know Jesus as Savior, take a moment to pray with me and invite the Prince of Peace into your life,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

If you have prayed this prayer, know that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding now, dwells in your heart (Philippians4:7).  I pray that this peace will now rule in your heart (Colossians 3:15). 

Philippians 4:6 urges us to be anxious for nothing but to bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving.  This may seem simple to do but when we find ourselves in the middle of a world dominated by terrorism and fear, going to prayer with thanksgiving seems like the last thing we must do.  Instead, we tend to resort to fear, the very thing terrorists want us to do. 

I therefore urge everyone reading this to develop a prayerful and thankful attitude in these troubling times by,

1)      Worshipping God – When most of us think of worship, we think of singing or playing an instrument.  However, this limited view of worship excludes those with little or no musical talent.  Psalm 100:1-2 however tells us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and to enter His presence with singing.  Psalm 92:1 goes further by telling us it is a good thing to sing praises unto the Lord.  In fact, God dwells in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).  Therefore, whether you voice has a sweet melodic sound or more resembles a noise, sing out for it pleases God just to hear his people worship Him in song.

2)      Serving God – Serving God is not just reserved for those called to be pastors.  Ephesians 6:7 urges all of us to work with enthusiasm as though we were working for the Lord and not just for people.  I happen to work for a wonderful boss so doing what she tells me to do is no problem.  However, I work as an accountant so the enthusiasm part can be difficult.  What helps is to think of my work as working for the Lord knowing people are watching me and noticing my attitude of devotion and enthusiasm as I work.  God has us in the position he has us in now for a reason and I believe much of that reason is for us to be a light in a dark and fearful world.  I therefore want to urge everyone reading this to work with enthusiasm and devotion as if Jesus was your boss.

3)      Giving to God – When most of us think of giving, we think of giving money.  It is a fact that the giving of our tithe to the Lord is important and failure to give of our tithe is robbing God (Malachi 3:8).  Logically it makes no sense for us to give 10 percent of what we earn to the Lord especially if we are already having difficulty paying our bills, let alone be thankful doing it.  However, giving opens the portal through which God bless and takes care of his people’s needs (Luke 6:38).  This does not mean that giving to God guarantees we will become rich but rather that God’s people that give will not find themselves lacking for their basic needs.  Giving is therefore a means for us to express our trust in God and a means of saying thanks in advance in anticipation that our God will supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).  However, giving encompasses more than just the giving of our money and also includes the giving of our time in prayer, study of the Word and service to God and our fellow human beings. 

Please join me this Thanksgiving and the days that follow by living our lives in thanks to God who sent His only Son to die for our sins (John 3:16).  A lost and dying world, living in fear and terror needs to see God’s people living lives of thanksgiving and devotion to God.  The question is, will you be one of those people?