I Thank God

Posted by Alan Knox on Nov 22, 2010 in discipleship, scripture | 1 comment

Have you noticed that Paul began most of his letters with the phrase “I thank God…” Paul was a very thankful person. He was grateful to God for many, many things. The most important things that Paul was thankful for was for the people that God had placed in his life. Paul continuously thanked God for these people, for those he had opportunities to disciple, and for those who they then discipled.

Here are some of those passages:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. (Romans 1:8 ESV)

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge… (1 Corinthians 1:4-5 ESV)

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5 ESV)

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints… (Colossians 1:3-4 ESV)

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 ESV)

I think we can learn alot from Paul here. We can learn to be thankful for the people that God has brought into our lives, and to be thankful for the way that God is working in their lives.

I thank God for the many people shared the gospel with me, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and Youth activities. It’s obvious that these people loved Jesus and wanted me (and others) to love and serve him as well.

I thank God for a pastor who took the time to disciple me as a young man. He did more than preach to me; he shared his life with me.

I thank God for a wife who continuously shows me the love of God and shows me how to care for people in a way that honors them and God.

I thank God for my son and daughter who continually amaze me with the ways that they allow God to work through them.

I thank God for the mature believers that God has in my life now. I’ve learned so much for them and continue to grow because of their patience and love.

I thank God for many young believers that God has placed in my life. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to impact their lives, but also for the fact that they teach me as well.

I thank God for my blogging family. I wish I could visit each one of you. From reading your comments, I can tell that you love God and desire to grow and mature in Jesus Christ. You are special to me.

Thank you, God.