Abounding In Thanksgiving

by G. Jarvie | Category: General | Sept 1963

"Rooted and builded up in Him... abounding in thanksgiving"

(Colossians 2.7).

Among the characteristics of the last days is that men will be unthankful" and "unholy". These are very evident in our day. The giving of thanks is a godly trait, and not only is it right that we should be thankful, but it has a very salutary effect upon our whole man, spirit and soul and body.

Thanksgiving was one of the causes of David's fruitful life. It comes out again and again in his life and writings. How much we owe to David for the outpourings of his heart! One of the lessons the servant of Christ must learn is that of abounding in thanksgiving. It may be easy for the Christian to give thanks when things go well with him. He will seldom fail to do so, for he knows that every perfect boon is from above (James 1.17). But abounding in thanksgiving will take us far beyond that. When Paul wrote this, he was a prisoner in Rome! How well he had learnt the lesson! and how fruitful a life he lived! We also can learn it, and abound in thanksgiving, for "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and for ever" (Hebrews 13.8). What He was to His faithful servants in the past, He will be to us also as we abound in thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 29 is a very revealing chapter in the life of David, and His words are a tonic to us today. In his lifetime, David amassed very great wealth, but he gladly gave it all for God's dwelling place, and he gave thanks that he was privileged to do so! That is spiritual maturity. It was not the giving of thanks that he had received so much, but that he was privileged to be able to give so much! This is what he said :"Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee" (verses 18, 14).

That was thanksgiving from a heart that had learnt the greatness of God, and its own nothingness.

How deeply thankful we should be that God has saved us, and called us with a holy calling! How thankful we should be that we are privileged to give ourselves and our substance to Him! In 1 Chronicles 29.22, we read, they "did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness". In great measure, gladness of heart is linked with thanksgiving. The unthankful heart knows little of true joy. The merriment of the world is largely a veneer that covers its lack of joy. One of the evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit within the believer is joy. Thus we read, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace" and so forth (Galatians 5.22).

Perhaps we ought to stop and ask ourselves now, Are we filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, as the early disciples were ? (Acts 13.52). Or are our lives commonplace like those of all around us? If joy is lacking and the fulness of the Spirit, let us scrutinize ourselves to see if we have failed to abound in thanksgiving. Are our prayers saturated with thanksgiving? If not then our joylessness is apparent. We have failed to abound in thanksgiving.

But are we expected to give thanks for everything? "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward" (1 Thessalonians 5.18). And again, "Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Ephesians 5.20). But many things happen to us for which we find it difficult to give thanks. Do we trust God only in the good and pleasant days? Do we not trust Him even in the dark days ? Someone has written

"When is the time to trust?

Is it when friends are true?

Is it when comforts woo

And in all we say and do

We meet but praise?

Nay but the time to trust

Is when we stand alone,

And summer birds have flown,

And every prop is gone,

All else but God."

We can trust God even when we cannot trace His way, for His way is perfect (Psalm 18.80). Let us abound in thanksgiving, and as we abound in this, the grace of God will abound in us, and our lives, that may have become dry and commonplace, will become fresh and green, radiant with Christlikeness.

G. Jarvie | Sept 1963
General