The settlers who founded the New England colonies experienced many difficulties and hardships. As their inclinations were thoroughly Christian, they fasted before God and prayed to Him as those who were utterly dependent upon Him. These early settlers declared their supplications before Him who could assuage their anguish. Continual thought upon their difficulties and hardships occupied their minds and caused distress and restlessness, and the settlers even thought about returning to their homeland with all its religious persecution of them. The settlers convened to decide upon a community response. When someone recommended another day to be designated for fasting and prayer, an ordinary man with some sanctified sense, stated his thoughts that they had agonized sufficiently regarding their difficulties and hardships, and recommended that it was the opportune time to contemplate upon the mercies of God. For instance, the colonies were developing in sufficiency, which was evident by the delightfulness of the atmosphere, the increased harvest of the fields, the plentiful supply of fish in the rivers, and abundance of game in the woods. Additionally, the wives of the settlers were healthy, the children were submissive, and the colonies now experienced civil and religious liberty, which was the reason they came to the New World. The recommendation was an amendment to the resolution for a day of fasting, and to instead celebrate a day of thanksgiving. As all should know, that Thanksgiving Day was to become an integral part of the express culture and life of the American people. Of course, for Christians, one day a year to give thanksgiving to God for all His blessings is far from satisfactory.

To Live Thinking and Thanking
Scripture exhorts every Christian to make music in one’s heart, “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Eph 5:19-20). Indeed, the Apostle Paul learned to always give thanks, even in his Roman imprisonment where he wrote the (Prison) Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Even in the distressing imprisonment of a Philippian jail, Paul (and Silas, his fellow laborer) expressed that same attitude of heart and mind. For this reason, Paul could write to the Ephesians, “Be filled with the Spirit . . . always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Always giving thanks” is a distinctly Christian standard for living. The reason is that the word “thanksgiving” is literally the idea of the good grace (eucharistia) of God. The natural man is void of the grace of God, and consequently does not honor God or give thanks to Him (Rom 1:21). Having experienced the free and sovereign regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, the Christian expresses faith in Christ and repentance to God, and lives as one enraptured with a life of gratitude and humility by “always giving thanks” to God. A life of thanksgiving is truly exalting of God, or literally “giving thanks . . . to God, even the Father.”

The Christian life is that of thinking and thanking. “To think” in the old Anglo-Saxon language was seen also in thanks; literally, thinkfulness is thankfulness. A life of thanksgiving is always a witness to the salvific work of Christ. Thanks to God is given “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Christians are only able to approach God boldly because of the redemptive work of Christ on their behalf. The Lord Jesus Christ is the crowning thought of thanksgiving. Genuine thanksgiving is confession and living with Jesus Christ as Lord of one’s life. Living a life “always giving thanks” demands the Christian to “be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16). The Christian life is living with thanksgiving; a Christian does not make the most of time when instead there is agonizing over difficulties and hardships. Scripture exhorts us to give thanks “for all things” (a solemn thought, considering the man inspired to write those words was frequently imprisoned on behalf of his Lord Jesus Christ). 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). Prayer and the Word of God are the source of true strength and the means to success. Contentment resides in the power of God, as believers adjust to circumstances. Paul said he knew how to adjust his life when he had little and when he had much. Employing military language (“God . . . will guard”), Scripture reminds believers that the Lord will have His peace take possession of their hearts and minds “in Christ Jesus” (4:7). If there is any doubt with regard to pursuing the best things in life, verses 8-9 give instruction for regulating one’s life.

How to be Content in Life
1) Be anxious for nothing

2) Be prayerful for everything

3) Be thankful for anything

The days of our life are filled with dangers and deceptions; therefore, we need to rely upon wisdom, using our time wisely (Eph 5:15-16). The will of the Lord is for His people to live carefully and cautiously by living consistently with the wisdom of His Word (5:17). As opposed to being “drunk with wine” (which would also include any drugs that stupefy), the Christian is to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18; cf. Col 3:16). The believer determines the will of God, and how to obey and serve Him by the Holy Spirit’s enablement—as opposed to being drunk, which leads to ruin and the immorality already described in verses 3-4.

Ephesians 5 verses 19-21 indicate four participles—“speaking,” “making melody” (music), “giving thanks,” and being “subject” (submitting)—that modify the verb “be filled” in verse 18. The first two participles suggest the importance of Scripture and music to be filled with (or by) the Holy Spirit. A thankful attitude is the third characteristic of being filled, and the final characteristic is submission (obedience and respect) to authorities, whether internally-earned authority (Gk. dunamis, duvnami") or an externally-conferred authority (Gk. exousia, ejxousiva) (cf. 5:33; 1 Pet 3:1-6). As we let the Word of God dwell richly with us (Acts 13:52; Eph 5:18; Col 3:16), we understand the will of God. The Holy Spirit applies God’s truth to our lives, and as we yield ourselves in obedient stewardship, allowing ourselves to be governed by the truth, we experience God’s empowerment and enablement. Whatever experiences life may bring, the grace of God compels us to express hearts and minds filled with thanksgiving. As the old hymn teaches: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

To Live Joyfully
The essence of thanksgiving is to be “filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks” (Eph 5:18-20). Giving thanks is not something indefinable or theoretical; it is a both a mindset and activity that is defined biblically and explicit spiritually. The mindset of thanksgiving is to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another.” In a parallel passage, Paul taught that this speaking includes “teaching and admonishing one another” (Col 3:16). One of the many gifts that God has given His people is conversational fellowship. The essence of thanksgiving also includes continual expression of the joy that is only possible with God as Lord and Savior of one’s life. The exhortation of Scripture to speak “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody,” means a joyful life of witness and worship in mind (again, Paul and Silas set the example of witness and worship in Acts 16:23-40). Being “subject to one another in the fear [reverence] of Christ” (Eph 5:21) is also the essence of thanksgiving. The one who is “always giving thanks” is also to express “the fear [reverence] of Christ.”

God has promised provision beyond calculation (Phil 4:1-23). The resources available to the child of God are according to His riches in glory. Every believer should know the experience of relying upon the promises of God for every need supplied. Not to prove God faithful in His promises and provisions is to impoverish one’s self. As needs are often in the physical realm, believers may be convinced that God delights to manifest His power and riches in everyday life. Believers may also be confident that the grace of God received by faith and repentance will result in overabundant provision in the higher realm of spiritual need. God is to be the joy and boast of every believer, for He is their very life.

To Live with Praise and Glory
Genuine thanksgiving means one is “filled with the Spirit.” The fullness of the Holy Spirit requires the incoming of the Holy Spirit. The incoming only occurs when one who is dead in sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1) is regenerated, that is, born again (John 3:3), by the free and sovereign Holy Spirit (John 3:8). The Holy Spirit first enters our lives through the new birth by raising those who are dead in sins and trespasses alive together with Christ. The incoming of the Holy Spirit is the prerequisite for being “filled with the Holy Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit fills the Christian’s life, then genuine thanksgiving is but natural. Genuine, Christian thanksgiving is not a work of the flesh, but is the inevitable and irresistible activity and mindset, as the Holy Spirit fills the life of those redeemed by Christ and belonging to Him, to the praise and glory of the Father.

To Love God and Enjoy Him Forever
Thanksgiving Day for the Christian is an activity and a mindset that is expressed each and every day. Indeed, God created man to love Him and enjoy Him forever. It is for this purpose that God has so lavishly blessed His people with His grace and mercy. Now that we know more of what it means to live thinkfully and thankfully, may the life of the Christian truly be lived in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and thereby “always giving thanks for all things” each and every day.

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