15 Benefits of Giving Thanks
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15 Benefits of Giving Thanks
I have a sign in my family room that says: “There is Always Always Always something to be thankful for.” And while I know it’s true, I’ll be honest, I don’t always feel like being thankful. (Like, um, yesterday.) And yet, the Bible says we are to give thanks in all circumstances, stating in matter of fact fashion that being thankful is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). So, well, we better be giving thanks.
But that doesn’t mean we have to walk around with fake smiles plastered on our faces. It doesn’t mean we can’t be sad. It doesn’t mean we can’t cry or struggle or wish things were different.
It simply means despite our circumstances, we still agree, God is good and faithful and worthy of praise. A statement even more breathtaking in the wake of disappointment, don’t you think?
But there are benefits to this thankfulness thing. It isn’t just for kicks that God urges us to “give thanks” sixty-two times in the Bible, buffering our Christianity with verses like, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:15, 20).
Specifically, I’ve thought of fifteen noteworthy benefits. (Feel free to add more!)
1. It Rights Relationships
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” Philippians 1:3
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
Sometimes all that needs to be said, and all that wasn’t said is a simple thank you. And when we don’t hear it, the root of bitterness can run deep. By the same token, it’s hard to stay mad at someone when you turn to God in thanks for them. Not to mention, a grateful heart is the very foundation for a right relationship with God.
2. It Gives Light to the Heart
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:21-22
While an attitude of ingratitude blazes the path away from God. A grateful heart blazes a path straight to God, leading the appreciative mind toward righteousness, while the careless mind falls farther away.
3. It Makes Unbearable Circumstances Bearable
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
This one never ceases to amaze me. On the night before Christ was crucified, what is He busy doing? He’s giving thanks (Luke 22:19). The weight of all the world’s sin is about to be heaped on his sinless body, and He’s offering up a prayer of thanksgiving. But what a gem we gain from this scene, my friend. It’s an attitude of gratitude that makes an unbearable circumstance bearable.
4. It Silences the Enemy
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2 (NIV)
Satan holds no power over a grateful heart. Thanksgiving focuses our attention where it should be—on the provisions of the Father. It’s a sacrifice of praise. While self-pity puts us right where Satan wants us—defeated, disappointed, doubtful, and despairing.
5. It Glorifies God
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23
There is no greater accomplishment for the mouth or the mind (nor is there anything more fulfilling) than giving glory to God. Yet, sometimes, it can feel hard (or downright impossible) to give glory to God in our current circumstances. So how can we give glory to God when it feels like we’ve got nothing left to give? The answer is simple: start by giving thanks even for something small. No matter the circumstance, no matter the cost, may we give thanks to a Savior who bore the cross.
6. It Stills Anxiety
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
We’ve all (I’m assuming) experienced the powerful sway of anxiety. In an instant, apprehension can be paralyzing, gripping even the most serene personalities with fear. But to pray (amid the wake of uncertainty), with thanksgiving, is to loosen the noose of anxiety and replace it instead with the peace of God. I don’t know how it works either, my friend, but I can personally testify that thankfulness does indeed pave the way to peace.
7. It Shields Against Other Sin
“I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me.” Psalm 86:12-13
Thankfulness offers an impressive amount of protection against sin. There is little room for error when I’m busy giving thanks with my whole heart. However, when I’m grumpy or bitter (or moping around like a sad Eeyore), the flood gates swing wide open for a variety of disastrous turns.
8. It Helps Us Remember
“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
It’s essential to our faith that we recite on a regular basis the awesome character of God, along with the incredible works He has done. But our memory is often fickle and crowded. Yet when we give thanks, we tend to remember a little better. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. Thank you for your grace. It’s astounding the lengths God has gone through for sinful humanity.
9. It Results in Worship
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28
Thanksgiving and praise, praise and thanksgiving—why do we often see these two together? Because honestly, you can’t have one without the other. Praise will not rise from an ungrateful heart, and whining does not lead to worship. We cannot sing to God (and mean it) without first being thankful. An ungrateful heart condemns God, while a thankful heart worships God.
10. It Leads to Joy
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 118:1
When I stop and consider all the blessings I’ve been given in Christ, how can I not be joyful? And I don’t mean the kind of joy that comes with opening a fresh package of Oreos. I mean the kind of joy that permeates even the hardest of days because we know our current sufferings “are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).
11. It Gives Way to Contentment
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-26, 33
To be thankful is to nourish contentment. And to be content is to recognize God is a faithful provider. I am not dissatisfied when I count my blessings. Instead, I am full to overflowing in thanksgiving for all that I already have.
12. It Teaches the Next Generation to Do the Same
“But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” Psalm 79:13
Truth be told if we don’t give thanks, neither will our kids. But if we live a life of appreciation for all that God does and provides, Lord willing, our kids will too.
13. It Brings Us Together
“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” Psalm 111:1
Tragedy may bring people together, but it’s thanksgiving that keeps us together and unites us for one purpose—the glory of God. We may disagree on all kinds of issues (especially right now), but when we focus on all that we have in Christ, I know there is at least one thing we can agree on—we have an amazing, gracious, and merciful God.
14. It Grants Perspective
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving…For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:2-3
Even on the worst day, in the history of days, God is still the same great God. His character doesn’t change with our circumstances. Therefore, when we make the conscious choice to remain focused on God’s character, giving thanks for who He is, we will find solid ground to stand on even when things look upside down.
15. It Helps Us Live Upright in an Upside-Down World
“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” Daniel 6:10
It was Daniel’s persistent appreciation for the character of God that kept him from doing wrong. Even when his life hung in the balance, Daniel did what He had always done – He prayed and gave thanks to God. This world will continue to try and knock us down, but when we live a life of gratitude toward God, it’s going to be a lot harder for the enemy to take us out.
These and so much more are the privileges of a thankful heart. No wonder God commands us to give thanks, right? It’s not only for our protection but also our comfort and peace and well-being. Praise God that with a Savior like Jesus Christ, there is always, always, always, something to be thankful for.
