The Giving of Thanks

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“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” (Ephesians 5:2-4).

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20).

You can see from these verses (and many more) that we are called to be thankful. I especially like Ephesians 5:4, which says filthiness and foolish or coarse talking are not fitting, but rather, we are to do the giving of thanks!

Since we are talking about marriage, let’s apply these verses. Let’s begin to do the giving of thanks. Wives, if you will begin to give thanks (on purpose) for your husband, both to God and to him, you will find joy in submission. Husbands, likewise if you will start to give thanks for your wife, loving her will be easier and you won’t be tempted to be bitter against her.

Colossians 3:18 tells wives to submit to their husbands because it is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:19 says that husbands should love their wives and not be bitter against them. The word bitter in the Greek means to be sharp and piercing.

If you have been married for very long, you already know that it can be challenging to be obedient to the word.  A wife knows she is to honor and submit to her husband, but when he is walking in the flesh, staying in the Spirit and denying her flesh takes spiritual courage. Likewise, for husbands, if a wife is walking in her flesh, it takes courage for him also to stay in his position in Christ. (See the demonstration of the Bowls and use the Jesus faces to see who you are married to. If you are at an impasse, put the faces on your face and look at each other and see what happens.)

That is why being thankful and expressing it with our mouths and actions is so important. Romans 1:21 is a sobering verse; “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” We are either thankful or we are not. There is no in-between. If we stay unthankful then we enter a danger zone where our thoughts are concerned. It is just as easy to practice thankfulness as it is to practice un-thankfulness. It takes just as much energy to do one as the other, so why not use our energy in a godly way rather than an ungodly way.    

Why not choose life and blessing, that both you and your seed may live? (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choices we make affect our children after us. Don’t you think it is more profitable to demonstrate love and unity to your household than strife and division? God has commanded a blessing where there is unity (Psalm 133).

Now, let’s talk about the source of that unity. John 15:4, 5 says we are to abide in Him (Jesus) and He in us. Then in verse 5, Jesus tells us that we can do nothing without Him. In other words, He is the source of our life and specifically the source of life in our marriage. In the article Marriage Is A Covenant Relationship, I state that marriage is not manufactured, it is organic. In other words, Life begets life.

Husbands and wives, your first priority is your relationship with Jesus! The success of our marriage depends on it! As we keep the union with Jesus, making Him our first priority, glorifying God in our marriages will not be difficult. It will be an overflow of that union.

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

(Colossians 3:23, 24).

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