When I traveled to Europe in the 70s there was a joke with the German family we visited about the Austrians. The Austrians are so polite that they say Dankeshon (Thank you) and Btiteschon (You’re welcome) with every encounter. (When said quickly –dankeshon-bitteshon – it sounds like a train.)
We found it to be true and, aware of this, noticed how funny visits to restaurants became because of all the “thank-yous” and “you’re welcomes” involved in being seated, receiving the menu, the silverware, the napkins, the drinks, the food, the bill, etc. It may be amusing, but it is a charming part of the culture. Showing appreciation is an automatic and almost constant thing.
Paul, in this reading from his letter to the church at Colossae, seems to present a similar attitude. Look at how often he says to be thankful. The people (and us too) are called to be thankful because they are members of the body of Christ. And we are to be thankful that we are called to peace through that body.
Their worship, and our worship, should be filled with gratitude. In conclusion, Paul sums up that all we do should be done in the name of the Lord and should involve giving thanks.
It may not be part of our culture or our personal nature to say “thank you” and “you’re welcome” every time we are given something. It might make society function a bit smoother if we did.
But we are called as children of God and as followers of Jesus Christ to give thanks to God in all we do, and to be aware of – and therefore, thankful – of what it means to be saved by Christ. When we gather to worship – to sing songs of praise, to sing hymns, to pray, to be taught and to teach – we should do it all with gratitude.
Our thanks to God should not be reserved to one day a year, one season of the year, or one day a week. Our thankfulness for all that we are and all that we have should be a constant outpouring from us.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How often on average do you thank God in one day? Find a way to increase that number.
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