Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 ESV
Our attitude affects our mental and physical health. It also impacts our relationship with God and others. The word of God teaches believers to cultivate an attitude of holiness and spiritual discipline. Indeed, believers are exhorted to nurture the attitude of patience, perseverance, and obedience to God. Believers should also have an attitude of gratitude to God in every situation.
In today’s text, Paul reminds the believers in the church at Ephesus to give thanks always and for everything. That’s a challenging attitude to maintain when facing hardships in life. I don’t know too many people who are grateful for their financial struggles or battle with a serious illness. Indeed, it is unfair to expect someone going through a divorce, grieving the death of a loved one, or struggling to make ends meet, to give thanks always.
So how do we give thanks always and for everything to God? First, we should nurture a fervent prayer life. Prayer allows us to communicate our anxieties, our laments, our griefs, and sorrows to God while receiving grace and strength to bear our burdens. It encourages us to persevere in struggle and remain hopeful in distress. When we pray, we turn our troubles over to God with thanksgiving and wait patiently for His comforting grace.
Second, we should praise continuously. Praise sets the atmosphere for gratitude. When we praise, we thank God for His Sovereign love and His unfailing grace demonstrated through his daily provisions and protection. Praising God in difficult times adjusts our perspective on our situation and gives us the aptitude to give thanks for everything to God.
What are the benefits of giving thanks always and for everything to God? The first benefit is a life of joy and contentment. The joy we receive from God is not the absence of sorrow and heartaches. But it is a spiritual confidence in God’s comforting grace and unfailing love. Those who give thanks always and for everything to God do so because they trust that God will never forsake them.
The second benefit of giving thanks always and for everything to God is meaningful and spirit-filled worship. Many things can hinder our spiritual worship of God. When we stand in awe of God’s Sovereignty in worship, we become thankful for the privilege of knowing God as our heavenly Father who protects, provides, heals, and redeemed us.
In Philippians 4:6, Paul reminds believers not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Thanksgiving should always accompany our interactions with God. The Almighty does not owe us anything. Therefore, we should give thanks always for everything to God. Yes, that includes the times when our hearts our broken, or we have been betrayed or demonized unfairly, or we experience major losses or face a faith crisis.
As you go throughout the course of your daily toils, don’t forget to give thanks. Giving thanks is therapeutic and spiritually fulfilling. Thanksgiving to God is the spiritual grease that empowers God’s wheel of grace and divine favor to move in our direction. Those who give thanks always and for everything to God frustrate the demonic plot of the devil against them and are able to minister more meaningfully to those who struggle to discern God’s providential love for them.
Questions for Personal Reflection
How does a life of gratitude help a believer to grow spiritually?
What does it mean to live a life of gratitude to God?
Prayer- Blessed Father, I give you thanks for everything you allow to happen in my life. Please teach me to be grateful for my struggles as well as my successes. May I not lose my trust in you in times of difficulty, but continue to come boldly before your throne of grace with prayer and thanksgiving so I can find help in my times of need.