Living Thanksgiving

“Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:3-4).

Thanks! Gracias! Mahalo! Danke! Merci! Obrigado! No matter how you say it, every language has a way to express thanks. It is considered polite speech to say thanks to one who serves you, shows kindness, or gives a gift. Proper conduct and good manners are taught to children to prepare them for life. Similarly, in a life of discipleship, thanksgiving is a learned discipline.

By nature we may not be thankful or inclined to show appreciation. As a child learns to say please and thank you, the scripture teaches us to become disciples who show appreciation in our expressions to God. In a Thanksgiving Psalm we are instructed, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). In the New Testament Paul instructed believers in the gift of thanksgiving, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

Some think of God with an entitlement mentality. That thinking is if I’m a good person then God is required to do good things for me. If I go to church a few times a year then God owes me some answers to prayer and maybe a miracle or two. It is a vending machine relationship with God; I put in my church service, Bible reading, a few prayers and donations and God spits out whatever I need when I push the button. In truth, God owes us nothing and no amount of good works obligates Him to honor our desires.

Instead of a vending machine model we should strive for a relationship of trust that acknowledges His blessings. In a proper thanksgiving relationship you can view every blessing as a gift, the bounty He provides as benevolent provision. God doesn’t owe us anything. No amount of giving or service requires God to grant the items on our wish list. He is a good God who showers us with His favor and endows us with His blessing. Whatever life brings our way, we can have confidence in God that He will work out all things for our good. Upon that premise we can thank God and give Him praise! “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).