Eagle Eye Blog
Thankfulness
By Renee Costello, Elementary PE Teacher
Blog Post for September 2024
Thankfulness. There is a wooden sign that hangs on the wall in my kitchen. Every day when I come home, I come face to face with the two words carved in it. The etched words are BE THANKFUL. God talks about this a lot in Scripture. To be thankful means to be pleased and relieved. It means to be filled with a heart of gratitude and gratefulness. It's important to understand Who we are thankful to and to recognize that gratitude goes to God and God alone.
Colossians 2:7 instructs us to be rooted and built up in Christ, for His teaching is what strengthens our faith and His Truth is what brings about a thankfulness that the Apostle Paul calls "overflowing." In the same letter to the Colossian Church, Paul links peace with thankfulness: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
True peace comes from knowing Christ. And it leads to a heart of thankfulness. That's why the Apostle Paul can tell the believers in Colosse to be thankful, because knowing Christ enables us to experience His peace and relief, which in turn overflows into gratitude. The Bible characterizes Christians by their peace and their ability to have thankful hearts in all circumstances. This would be an impossibility outside of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. But Praise God that He gives us of Himself and promises His presence with us always. Because of this, we can carry out the work He has called us to do, and carry it out with peace and gratefulness.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28