Small Gratitude

Maybe you’ve experienced how small your gratitude can seem.

The greater the gift, the more insignificant gratitude feels. Someone gives you a valuable present, makes a sacrifice for your cause, or even saves your life. In that moment, any words of thanksgiving can seem very small.

In human terms, gratitude always puts us in a lower place. And expressing gratitude shows us that we are indebted and dependent.

This is exactly our position before God, for He has saved our life in Christ. Compared to that amazing redemptive reality, our gratitude can seem very small.

When a person gives an obviously humble or lowly gift, we tell ourselves: “It’s the thought that counts.” We say that about gifts from little children, or maybe about gifts from ill-informed husbands. It isn’t much, or not quite what we hoped for, but a sincere gift means that a person has tried to express his or her love.

For instance, think of the artwork of little children. A child will happily give their artwork to a parent or send a home-made birthday card to Grandma. The children’s work really isn’t much. By any artistic standard, it is amateur. It is messy and imperfect, but it is received with joy and pleasure. Grandma puts it on the fridge or hangs it on the wall.

Point is, she knows that this humble gift was given in love.

God doesn’t reject our humble and flawed efforts at Christian service, but He graciously welcomes them. He takes pleasure in our good works because we are united to Christ and are being conformed to His image. By our will and work, God is honored.

He loves our prayers, even if they are short and simple.

He delights to hear our singing, even if it’s off-key.

He finds joy in our service and gifts, even if they don’t look remarkable.

God receives it all for His own glory. And so we ought to keep thanking Him. We’re not done once Thanksgiving Day has come and gone for another year. Neither are we done once we’ve thanked the Lord for a few things at our mealtime or bedtime prayer. Like the Holy Spirit says in Scripture, “Give thanks always!” (1 Thess 5:18)

If you love God and love what He has done for you in Christ, be devoted to worshiping Him. If you have been blessed materially or spiritually or relationally, be ready to give something back to Him.

As long as you have life and breath, use it to praise the Lord (Ps 146:2). For God desires your gifts, He delights in your thanksgiving, and He treasures the loving spirit from which it overflows.

***

Excerpt from Thank God: Becoming More Grateful to the Greatest of Givers