Isn't it amazing how powerful the two little words, "thank you" are? Regardless of what we've done, how much time it took us to do it, or what it cost us financially to help someone else, a sincere and heartfelt "thank you" means more sometimes, than material reimbursement. As a husband, I love hearing those words from my wife. As a father, I love hearing those words from my kids. As a preacher, I love hearing those words from those I serve.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pilate asked Jesus, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered Pilate by saying, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:10&11). Moses reminded the people of God before they entered into a land of wealth they had done nothing to earn or deserve; "You may say to yourself, 'my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth" (Deut. 8:17&18). "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...." (James 1:17). Who is the source of all we have? Who is it that blesses each of us and all of us much more than we deserve? The answer is, "God!" "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1). So, "what do you have that you did not receive (from God)? And if you did receive it (from God), why do you boast as though you did not?" (I Corinthians 4:7).
Thanksgiving is much more than simply saying "thanks" to one another. It is thanking God for one another. Thanksgiving is more than acknowledging we've been blessed. It is acknowl-edging the One who has blessed us. Thanksgiving is more than thanking God for being with us in the past. It is thanking God for being with us in our future. Don't be like the nine ungrateful lepers who failed to thank the One who healed them (Luke 17:17&18). Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It is an attitude God desires for us to live in 24/7. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:17). You'd be surprised how blessed our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer is to hear you simply and sincerely say, "Thank you, God!"
