The Heart of Thanksgiving (7)

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks… Romans 1.21 (ESV)

Two paths
We conclude this series on the heart of thanksgiving with the same passage of Scripture with which we began (only here, from the ESV rather than NKJV).

You will recall that we saw ingratitude as the hinge by which unbelievers turn away from God and descend into His wrath, as He gives them up to deeper and deeper snares of sin and corruption. Ingratitude is the first step on the path to rebellion, drifting from God, and the inevitable consequences of a life of sin.

Since this is the way with ingratitude, to what might the practice of thanksgiving lead? If failing to give thanks marks the pathway to separation from God, can thanksgiving light the path to a deeper knowledge and love for the Lord?

I believe this is so, and the reasons for it should be obvious.

God and His blessing
First, since we can only grow in the practice of thanksgiving as we grow in our relationship with God, the desire to be obedient in giving thanks in all circumstances will lead us to spend more time with the Lord, meditating in His Word and seeking Him in prayer. Because we want to do the will of God in giving thanks, we will seek the presence of God, to fill our minds and hearts with Him, making us thus better prepared to give thanks in everything.

We can’t “gin up” thanksgiving just because we want to; it must flow from within our minds and hearts, where the knowledge of God and love for Him are faithfully nurtured through the disciplines of Scripture and prayer. So the more we practice thanksgiving, the more we will turn to Scripture and prayer as the wellspring of this discipline.

Further, the more we practice thanksgiving, the more we will be aware of the blessings of God on every hand. The whole cosmos depends on the Word of God, and He is manifesting His glory and power in every part of it (Ps. 19.1-4). As we reflect on the everyday blessings of God, our understanding of His wisdom, might, beauty, goodness, and love will grow. The more these grow, the better we will know Him, the more we will discern His presence, glory, and gifts, and the more inclined we will be to give Him thanks and praise, thus reinforcing what is becoming an upward spiral of growth in the knowledge of God.

The more we learn of the Lord through thanksgiving, the more we will want to know of Him by every other means. All the disciplines whereby we grow in the knowledge of God – our daily devotions, public worship, reading and meditation, paying attention to creation – will be strengthened and enlarged, so that we might gain greater access to His glory. God will draw us to Himself as we walk in obedience to His Word; when we seek Him with all our hearts, He will be found by us, and no small part of that seeking entails faithful obedience in giving thanks.

The power of thanksgiving
If you wish to know the will of God for your life, begin by giving thanks. If you wish to grow in the knowledge of God, which is eternal life (Jn. 17.3), persevere in giving thanks. If you want to train your soul for continuous growth in Christlikeness, give thanks in everything, for this discipline will teach the other affections, thoughts, and priorities of your soul how to keep their proper place before the Lord.

Thanksgiving is the solution for spiritual confusion, anxiousness of soul, and uncertainty of direction in life. Thanksgiving enlarges our souls, enriches our daily experience, and extends the grace and goodness of God to fellow members of the believing community. Is it possible that a lack of thanksgiving is keeping you from a more fulfilling experience of Jesus Christ? A more joyful and peaceful walk with the Lord? Greater faithfulness in seeking Him? Indeed, it may well be.

Thanksgiving is the solution to a multitude of spiritual ills, but we must be willing to take the medicine. Do not wait to feel thankful before you start practicing thanksgiving as a way of life. And don’t wait to be invited to give thanks; let thanksgiving rise from you naturally, sweetly, specifically, and consistently at every opportunity, in every situation.

Your Christian life will be dramatically transformed if you will take Paul’s simple exhortation to heart: “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Let your heart be filled with the heart of thanksgiving, and you will know the Lord, and love Him and serve Him more joyfully and faithfully every day.

For reflection
1.  What does it mean to know God? What does it mean to grow in the knowledge of God? In what sense are the knowledge of God and eternal life one and the same?

2.  How does following the path of thanksgiving help to keep us off the path of drifting from the Lord?

3.  What can keep you from becoming a person who gives thanks to God with greater consistency and joy?

Next steps – Preparation: Download the PDF for this series and make copies for several of your friends. Challenge them to read and reflect on the lessons in this series, and to consider how they might bring more thanksgiving into their own lives. Get together to discuss what you learn from this study.

T. M. Moore

This is part 4 of a multi-part series on Keeping the Heart. To download this week’s study as a free PDF, click here.

The Lord uses your prayers and gifts to help us in this ministry. Add us to your regular prayer list, and seek the Lord concerning whether He would have you share with us. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the contribute buttonat the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Where do the heart, mind, and conscious – which together comprise the soul – fit in our Christian worldview? Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, shows you how to understand the workings of your soul in relation to all other aspects of your life in Christ. For more information and to register, click here.

Join the Conversations! Our newest feature invites you to listen in as T. M. talks with Christian leaders about books, culture, faith, and much more. His conversation with Dr. Stan Gale on the role of forgiveness in the life of faith can be found by clicking here. His discussion of works by C. S. Lewis  with The Fellowship of Ailbe Board Chairman Charlie Hammett can be found by clicking here for The Great Divorce and here for The Abolition of Man. Or click the Resources tab, then scroll down and click on Conversations to watch all three.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.