I found something last week that was pretty interesting. I was prepping a lesson on thanksgiving and was trying my best to write a great lesson – not just another “what are you thankful for” session.
In my head, I could remember all the times that Paul said that he would thank God at the beginning of his letters. To be honest, I’d never thought much about it. Kind of like I’d never thought about any of the genealogies.
But I didn’t realize how often Paul, in some form, thanked Godaround the beginning of his letters until I took a look for myself.
Romans 1:8 – “I thank my God…”
1 Corinthians 1:4 – “I thank my God…”
2 Corinthians 1:3 – “Blessed be God…”
Ephesians 1:16 – “I don’t stop giving thanks…”
Philippians 1:3 – “I thank my God…”
Colossians 1:3 – “We give thanks to God…”
1 Thessalonians 1:2 – “We give thanks…”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 – “We ought to always give thanks…”
1 Timothy 1:12 – “I thank Christ Jesus…”
2 Timothy 1:3 – “I thank God…”
Philemon 1:4 – “I thank my God…”
I’m not saying that there’s a link to Paul’s thankfulness to God and his impact in the Kingdom. But I’m not saying there isn’t, either. To be complete, a quick glance will show you that other New Testament writers don’t always follow this same prescription.
However, what if there is a connection? What if there’s a connection to how thankful you are to God and how much impact you have? After all, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
What would it look like if you started each day this week, starting today, with a short prayer thanking God for all He’s done in our lives?
I’m taking the challenge, and would love to hear what God does in your life through being thankful!