Never Enough Thank You’s

“We always thank God…
when we pray for you.”
Colossians 1:3 (NIV)

I was listening to a news program the other night when a commercial for St. Jude’s Hospital suddenly caught my attention. One young Mom whose child had been diagnosed with cancer tearfully shared how hopeless she felt the first day she brought her child to St. Jude’s. She recounted the care, treatment, recovery, and hope her child experienced at St. Jude’s and ended with this statement: “There will never be enough Thank You’s!”

That’s the attitude we should have as Christians. We will never have enough thank you’s for Christ leaving the riches of his throne in heaven, coming to earth and being made in the likeness of sinful man, living a perfect life, dying a sinner’s death on a Roman cross, and bearing our sin & shame so that we can have life abundantly forever. It was the Great Exchange. Christ became poor so that we could become rich.

Tim Keller writing in his wonderful book Preaching asks:

  • Why can we be as rich as kings? Because he became spiritually and utterly poor.

  • Why can we be comforted? Because he wept inconsolably and died in the dark.

  • Why can we inherit the earth? Because he became meek like a lamb before his shearers. He was stripped of everything. They even cast lots for his garment.

  • Why can we obtain mercy? Because he got none- not from Pilate, not from the crowd, not even from God.

  • Why can we someday see God? Because he was pure. We can see God because on the cross Jesus could not.

The Apostle Paul certainly never ceased to be grateful for God’s amazing grace. As he sat imprisoned chained to a Roman guard, Paul penned letters of encouragement and instruction to the churches in Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae. These letters eventually became incorporated into the canon of scripture and are now known as the books of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Read the opening chapter of each book and you will find gratitude woven throughout Paul’s prayers for these churches.

In Colossians, for example, gratitude and thankfulness are sacred echoes found throughout the entire letter, repeated seven times in just four chapters as:

  • “We always thank God…when we pray for you” (Colossians 1:3)

  • Joyful thanks (Colossians 1:12)

  • Thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7)

  • Be thankful (Colossians 3:15)

  • Gratitude in your hearts (Colossians 3:16)

  • Giving thanks to God the Father (Colossians 3:17)

  • Watchful in thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2)

Author Ellen Vaughn in her book Radical Gratitude writes an entire chapter recalling Jesus’ story of 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19) healed and only one man returning to say thank you. Vaughn writes, 

"Be the one who thanks Jesus. Let others go where they may. You be the one who is grateful....Cultivating a grateful heart is not just an add-on nicety, a civil tip of the hat to God as we steamroll through our day. A posture of purposeful, perpetual thanks to God is absolutely central to Christian character. It gives glory to Him....It is the hallmark of heaven. It does not exist in hell. A grateful heart is a gift of grace.”

My church congregation, Briarwood Presbyterian, has been diligently praying and waiting for the person who would be our next Senior Pastor since Dr. Harry Reeder’s sudden death two years ago. The shock, grief, and uncertainty that followed Dr. Reeder’s death drove us to our knees and literally forced us to pray. In our 64-year Briarwood history, we had only known two faithful shepherds who loved our congregation well. Dr. Frank Barker served Briarwood faithfully for forty-years and Dr. Reeder served for twenty-four. There will never be enough thank you’s for the legacy they both left. Both men had a long road of faithful obedience and finished well.

But Charles Wesley once said, “God buries his workmen, but carries on his work.” God’s work at Briarwood will be carried on by Dr. Scott Redd, Jr. Our congregation is once again amazed at God’s grace and so very grateful for God’s provision in leading us to Dr. Redd. And while our pastoral search is complete, our prayers are certainly not. Our job as a congregation is to continue to thank God for his gracious provision and pray for Dr. Redd and his ministry among us.

The book of Colossians is bookended by God’s grace. There will never be enough Thank You’s!
“God gives gifts of grace; we give thanks; and the result is joy.” (Ann Voskamp)

GratitudeDonna Evansprayer, christian living