Giving Thanks Always
"...Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," -Ephesians 5:20 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S, a time to count your blessings, spend time with family, and eat good food. But amid all the holiday hype, what does it really mean to give thanks biblically? Our verse says give thanks always for all things. The Greek word there for giving thanks is eucharistountes . The meaning of the word goes beyond mere thankfulness; it embodies a sense of gratitude and a recognition of grace . The word used for always is pantote , meaning, obviously, at all times . It is also used to express the idea of continuity or perpetuity in time, signifying that we are to give thanks -recognize God's grace- continuously, without ceasing. We often forget these truths. But biblical gratitude is more than just saying "thank you" to God once a year for the good, pleasant things in our lives. Rather, it is an acknowledgement of God...