Thanksgiving: The Action of Gratitude

A little boy sat in church, his eyes fixed on a flag on the wall covered with gold stars. He tugged on his father’s sleeve. "Daddy," he whispered, "Why does the flag have so many stars on it?"

"Son," his dad whispered back, "that flag is to remind us of all the men and women who died in the service."

The boy thought for a moment, his brow furrowed. Then he leaned in again and asked, "Daddy, was that the morning service or the evening service?"

Have you ever been in a church service that felt like a funeral? The singing is dead, the faces are blank, and there's a palpable sense of boredom. These spiritually lifeless environments, full of what one pastor calls "Pew zombies," often suffer from a spirit of ingratitude—a failure to grasp the greatness of God and what He has done for us.

This highlights a deeper truth: genuine gratitude isn’t just a quick “thank you” to God we say on Thanksgiving. It’s a powerful force that can change our behavior for the better.

A grateful heart gives God gratitude through changed Behavior!

So, what does that changed behavior actually look like? The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5, outlines four qualities of a life surrendered to God—four practical, observable signs that a heart is truly grateful.

1. Your Words Shift from Small Talk to Scripture.

The first behavioral sign of gratitude is a change in your conversations. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:19 about "speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." This isn't a command to sing to each other; it’s telling us to speak the word of God to one another to build each other up.

But what does it mean to speak in "Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs"? We must be careful not to insert our modern meanings here. Paul didn't have a modern hymnal. Instead, if you look at the Old Testament, particularly the Greek Septuagint translation, these three terms are often used interchangeably. The point isn't about three different genres of music but about a singular source of content: the Word of God. Paul is saying, "When you come together, edify one another by speaking the word of God to each other."

He contrasts this with the "empty chitchat" of a drunk person, which he warns against in the preceding verse. A heart surrendered to the Holy Spirit moves beyond superficial conversations. Think about our typical gatherings. We talk about our favorite sports teams, our hobbies, our jobs. There's nothing inherently wrong with discussing our interests, but in a community of believers, shouldn't our discussions about the greatness of God eclipse those things?

Here’s a practical challenge: before you gather with other believers, take some of the verses you’ve been reading during the week and intentionally use them to encourage someone. A grateful person sources their words from the deep well of Scripture, speaking truths that magnify God and edify others.

2. You Don't Just Sing the Notes, You Sing from the Heart.

The second sign flows directly from the first. After speaking from the mind, a grateful person sings from the heart. As Paul continues in verse 19, he urges us to be "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." There's a powerful distinction here: when you speak, you communicate thoughts from your mind, but when you sing, you express emotions from your heart.

The original language emphasizes this. A grammatical structure known as an "instrument of dative" clarifies how we are to sing: by means of the heart. It’s not just air passing over vocal cords; it's an emotional and physical act that originates from the very center of our being. This is why singing is so powerful. It can release oxytocin, a hormone that increases feelings of trust and bonding, edifying the entire church as you focus on the Lord together.

Consider one of the most incredible moments in history: after the Last Supper, just before heading to Gethsemane where He would be betrayed, Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples. Tradition holds that it was Psalm 118, which begins and ends with the same refrain: "Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever." In the face of unimaginable suffering, Jesus expressed gratitude.

This is the standard. Singing words of praise while your heart is far from God is a contradiction. A truly grateful heart sings because it must, expressing a joy that is rooted in a right relationship with the Lord.

3. You Stop Complaining and Start Thanking - For Everything.

A grateful life is marked by a profound shift in mindset, as described in Ephesians 5:20: "giving thanks always for all things." The opposite of this is a spirit of ingratitude, which manifests as grumbling and complaining.

One of the major themes in the Old Testament is the ingratitude of the nation of Israel. Even after God brought them out of slavery, they complained about the desert, the water, and the food. Their grumbling revealed a deeper, delusional belief: that slavery in Egypt was better than freedom with God. This attitude is rooted in the thought that "this is not good enough for me, I deserve better."

A surrendered heart, however, is filled with thanksgiving. It recognizes the infinite blessings of God, chief among them the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. When you realize the magnitude of that gift, discontent with your house, car, or job begins to fade.

Mark Twain once quipped:

Don't complain and talk all about your problems 80% of the people don't care and the other 20% will think you deserve them.

Thanksgiving isn't just a holiday; it's the posture of a surrendered soul. It's the conscious choice to be thankful always, for all things, because we serve a good God whose mercy endures forever.

4. You Trade Self-Interest for Mutual Submission.

Perhaps the most radical evidence of a grateful heart is found in Ephesians 5:21: "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." This principle of mutual submission is what sets Christians apart from a world driven by an "every man for themselves" mentality.

The Greek term here is a compound word made from hupo ("under") and tasso ("to appoint"). It’s an old military term meaning "to line up under." Picture a Roman Legionnaire calling his troops into formation. The soldiers fall into place, knowing their rank and position, operating in a system of order and unity under their commander. They are interdependent; you can't have one without the others.

This concept is so foundational that Paul uses this exact word three times in the immediate context: we are to submit to one another (v. 21), wives are to submit to their husbands (v. 22), and the church is to be subject to Christ (v. 24). The principle of lining up under authority in love starts with our mutual relationships. In a Spirit-filled community, members don't fight over who is better or what they deserve. They dwell in unity, understanding a profound truth: "when your brother and sister in Christ wins you win too."

Conclusion: More Than a Holiday, A Changed Life

The best way to show your gratitude to God is not through your words, but through your behavior. It’s about cultivating conversations that build others up, singing from a heart that is right with God, giving thanks for everything, and submitting to one another in love.

Our natural, fleshly reaction is often ingratitude. But when we see the destruction and damage it brings to us and those around us, we can learn to change. We can choose the behaviors that demonstrate a truly grateful heart.

This Thanksgiving, as you consider what you're thankful for, what is one behavior you could change to truly show it?

PTL