Thank You.

When you pray, do you say thank you to God? I'm guessing the short answer to that question is, "yes, of course." In written text that would look something like this, "Thank you God." We thank God for our health, our family, our jobs, our homes, and our salvation, but as in the example above, does that thought end with a period after the thanks are expressed? Thank you God (period) 

Most of my teaching experience was in the content area of social studies. I taught American History, Geography, and World History for eleven years. I transitioned to teaching English Language Arts for the next five years and during that period, I became much more in tune with grammar and the structure of the written language. The most basic grammatical tool is the period. A period by definition ends a complete thought. Hence saying "Thank you God." is a complete thought and justly earns the peculation mark of a period. But is saying thank you all that is expected? Or do we need to be demonstrating our gratitude through the life we live and the service we provide to others? 

Saying "Thank you God." means we have received something and we are showing our gratitude by telling God that we appreciate what we have been given. Paul reminds us in Acts 20:35 that the life example Jesus provided demonstrated the idea that "it is far better to give than to receive". So, if giving is better than receiving then how can we balance or even justify stopping our thanks to God with a period? The answer to that question is quite simple, we can't. 

Instead of placing a definitive period at the end of our thanks to the God who created each of us, watches over us, assures we have what we need, and blesses us beyond anything we deserve, shouldn't we be extending the thought of gratitude in to actionable expressions of thanks? In James 2:17-18 we are told that, "Even so faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." As we give thanks in our prayers we are establishing our faith in God?  We are praying a prayer of thanksgiving for all He has done in our lives, but is saying thanks enough to establish our faith? Or should we be demonstrating our faith and gratitude to the God who has given us all that we have and made us all that we are through the life we live each day? 

I believe God wants our gratitude to be demonstrated in actions and not only expressed in words. What do you do that gives back to the God of all eternity that has given so abundantly to you? Does your life inspire others to desire a relationship like yours with God? Do your conversations and the thoughts you share express the love that was given to you when you probably deserved it the least? Who is your neighbor and how are you treating those that you might rather not consider to be your neighbor since they don't live in your neighborhood? Are you providing examples of gratitude in your home, on the job, as you coach, or even as you sit in the seat of your local restaurant? Does your faith equal your works or is your faith something you take off the shelf on Sundays and then place it back until you need it again during adversity or affliction? 

I'll make this challenge for us all today, don't allow your thanks to the God of all creation to end with a period after the words "Thank you God". Instead of a period, make it an exclamation point filled with gratitude for His goodness and mercy and then live out your gratitude through the life you live! "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. What are you willing to give beyond your words of thanks?  

Coach Carter