I grew up in a home where we always said a prayer before the evening meal. When it was time for that prayer, we would all bow our heads, we all knew what to do. When we had company, dad would inform everyone what was about to happen, he would say something like "lets all give thanks",or "so and so would you please offer grace".
Lately I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks to God, and I have been thinking about grace. On the surface these two topics are vastly different. Grace is what God offers me and thanks is my humble response of gratitude.
Many years ago, a third grade teacher taught me that grace was unmerited favor, recently a friend told me that grace was unmeritable favor, I think both are right and I think they both only have one reasonable responce, thanks.
When little children pray they give thanks for everything, from little bugs with red wings to mommy and daddy. As adults there are times when we get to busy to thank God for all He has done and we just concentrate on what we consider to be the "big" things, after all we could never thank Him for all He has done can we.
I think that is why we are to "pray continually" (1Thes 5:17)and "always give thanks to God the Father for everything" (Eph 5:20). I think "thanks" should always be on our lips because of the "grace" He has shown us.
We have the right to say "thanks" directly to Him because of His "grace" and there is no other single word left to say if I am His child, unless it is "Father".
I Jn 3:1 says "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
So the next time you are ask to say grace, give thanks, because there is no other responce that can be given to grace.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
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