But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. Titus 3:4-5a
How many times a day do you say thank you? Every time someone holds a door for you. Every time you pay for something at a store. Every time someone hands you something. Every time you receive a gift even if you don’t like it. Politeness is one mark of a civilized society, but the fact is, these obligatory thank-yous do not always come from the heart.
Can you think of a time when you said thank you and you really meant it? One of those times when you shook the person’s hand, looked into their eyes, maybe with tears brimming in your own, and said thank you, but feeling like that wasn’t nearly enough?
You’ve probably seen videos of a heart transplant recipient meeting with the family of the donor to say thank you. When someone saves your life, you say thank you and you mean it.
I think one reason that some people don’t like going to church is that too often we think of it as an obligation rather than an opportunity to say thank you to God.
The ancient Israelites had “A Song for the Sabbath Day” — Psalm 92 — that reminds us of the connection between worship and thanksgiving.
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD,
and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning,
and thy faithfulness every night.
Psalm 92:1-2 KJV
When we look at worship services, and personal worship at home for that matter, as an opportunity to thank God in an active way, more active than just saying the words “thank you,” we are probably going to start grasping the beauty and the pleasure of what can be accomplished when we worship.
On the other hand, when we do not express our thanks to God, we are putting ourselves in a position that we do not want to be in— the position of the unthankful.
..although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21
God says that being unthankful leads to futile thoughts and darkened hearts. And we might be tempted just to skim the list of evils recorded in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, but it is interesting that the unthankful are included there alongside, for example, blasphemers, despisers of good, and “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
We have to remember that thankfulness tends to either decrease or increase over time. Failing to glorify God will lead to less and less gratitude. But when we express thanks through worship, the thankfulness grows.
When we go to church out of habit or obligation, it can be a lot like that thank you we say automatically when someone passes the salt or hands us our bag of groceries. It’s a good habit, but may not be quite heartfelt.
The ideal for worship is to see it as “a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises.” Surely what God has done for us deserves more than just the uttering of two little words. Thanks is not enough, but it is something we can offer again and again with grateful hearts and maybe sometimes tear-brimmed eyes. When we see worship as an opportunity, we can begin to find the joy in it.
For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work:
I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
O LORD, how great are thy works!
Psalm 92:4-5a KJV
When someone saves your life, you say thank you, and you mean it.
Dear God and Father in heaven, how can I thank You enough for saving my soul? Please place in me the desire to demonstrate heartfelt gratitude through the worship of Your holy name. Forgive me for the times I have seen worship only as an obligation. I thank You, Father, and I thank Your Holy Spirit and Your Son, for loving me, helping me, and saving me. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
by Christie Cole Atkins
If you struggle with knowing what to say to God beyond a simple “thank You,” this book can help you find the words! There is so much we can say to God to thank Him and praise Him when we use Scripture. Check out Praying God’s Word Back To Him, available here. It’s a great gift for friends and family, too!
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Walk Worthy 