Many years ago, about the time of a Thanksgiving Day outreach, I heard the words, “Real thanksgiving is thanks-living.” Is this true? Is thankfulness more than just words before a meal?

A quick glance at the use of “thanksgiving” in the ESV grants us insight. Thankfulness is found in prayer (Col. 4:2), eating (1 Tim. 4:4), and worship (Rev. 7:12; Ps. 147:7). The gates of worship called one to enter accompanied with thanksgiving (Ps. 100:4; Ps. 95:2). God was thanked in worship (Ps. 100:4; Ps. 147:7), His comforts remembered (Is. 51:3), Himself magnified (Ps. 69:30), and thanksgiving proclaimed loudly (Ps. 26:7).

Furthermore, thanksgiving abounds through the believer’s life (Col. 2:7). Thanksgiving was part of replacing foolish and crass speech (Eph. 5:4) as well as anxious thoughts (Phil. 4:6). Serving the Gospel as it extends to more and more people will increase thanksgiving to God (2 Cor. 4:15). And who can forget Paul teaching the church to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18).

Thus, thankfulness is more than a courteous action we do before a meal. It is a whole life activity that saturates every part of our lives as we worship, serve, and walk with God. Worship, prayer, speech, attitudes, circumstances, and service to the Gospel are connected to thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving really is thanks-living. It is not just your mouth that utters thanks. Your mind, heart, attitude, hands, feet, and body also say it to. So say thanks to your Savior today. But be sure to say it with all of you. Say thanks in prayer, in praises, in eating, in communication, in worship, and in sharing the Gospel. And don’t just say it once, or here and there; say thanks through your everyday life.

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Pastor Sean