Giving thanks to God has always been an important part in the lives of His children, in every dispensation. God required it, because thankfulness does not only honor Him, our Creator, it also creates a wonderful and wholesome outlook on life in His children. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song”, the psalmist writes in Psalm 28:7.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures for ever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4). Great comfort and assurance of God’s care is seen in this verse and many other Bible verses.

Gratitude is even commanded through certain scriptures. “Be joyful always,; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:16-17).

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, let us not forget where our thankfulness rests and how it also influences and shapes us and others. Here are also some secular quotes that show great understanding of gratitude towards God and others:

 “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton

 “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

 “Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” – Alfred Painter

 “Let’s be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.” – Marcel Proust

 “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” -William Arthur Ward

 “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins