Gratitude – by Ed Dunn

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Special Partner Letter from May 2025:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4)

We say Grace (give thanks) before meals, and I say Grace before the concert or play, before I open a book, before sketching, painting and swimming, before walking, dancing and playing. I say Grace before I dip the pen in ink. – G.K. Chesterton

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, and the readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness. – Oxford Dictionary

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. – Marcus Aurelius

I have been reading a good deal lately on the topic of gratitude. This topic has led me to explore popular books on the subject, some of the wisdom literature of several ancient cultures and, most certainly, the perspective on gratitude (or, thanksgiving) as the topic is addressed in Scripture. Gratitude, thanksgiving – the giving of thanks for all we are grateful for. There is a true joy in expressing all that we feel grateful for, and all that we are glad to receive in our lives. In so many ways, we are truly blessed.

In his letters to the early churches, the Apostle Paul wrote frequently on the topic of gratitude (or, thanksgiving). In the books of Colossians and 1 Thessalonians, Paul repeats his thoughts with a similar emphasis: Give thanks in all circumstances; in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (Colossians 3 & 4, 1 Thessalonians 5). In all circumstances, in everything, give thanks. The essence of various translations varies little – in all circumstances, in everything, no matter what you may be facing or going through, be thankful, be grateful. Given the trials and troubles Paul faced, that strikes me as a remarkable statement! To fully let Paul’s words in, I must not see the total picture. I must be missing something. In all circumstances, in everything…give thanks and be grateful? In a negative situation, in a painful situation, in a loss situation give thanks? Really?! We can be left to ask, how?

In my reading on the topic of gratitude, I came across a practical exercise I have found to be both challenging and helpful. We are not programmatic Christians here at PTM. We are not prescriptive in how we follow Christ Jesus, as if believing in the ten points to this or practicing the seven steps to that, earn us anything, buy us favor or put us in God’s good graces. So much of toxic, Christless religion is all about such programmatic and prescriptive approaches to following Christ. That is not who we are nor how we follow Jesus.

That said, we follow Jesus by giving thanks. We invite Jesus into all aspects of our lives. And, in reading, I found an exercise into which I could, in prayer, aspire to invite Jesus. The exercise encouraged the reader (me) to pick one negative situation in my life, something I have felt badly about, stuck in, or living without constructive resolution to, for some time. Once I had identified the situation, I was encouraged to sit down, put pen to paper and write out ten things about the situation that I felt grateful for. As I wrote, I was reminded to pray, thank you, thank you, thank you following each statement connected to the situation.

I had to dig deeply in doing this exercise. The thinking and the writing were hard work. I had been so accustomed to thinking negatively about the situation, I found it foreign to find anything to feel grateful for within it. I thought about Paul’s admonition – in all circumstances, in everything, give thanks. Eventually, slowly, ten statements of gratitude about the situation emerged and made it on to the piece of paper. Whether or not I ever receive a positive resolution to the situation, I certainly felt better completing the exercise in prayer and trusting the result to God.

In all circumstances…in everything, give thanks. Faced with a variety of negative and painful circumstances in his life, I recently had a friend ask me, why is God testing me so? Upon hearing his question, I thought for a moment before responding. Does God test us? Is God trying to determine if we will trust him or not?

To me, the question felt like a view of God I grew up with, one that places God in the position of either blessing or cursing us, based on our beliefs and behaviors. The question felt a bit Old Testament, Old Covenant and honestly, legalistic. When I responded, I did so with a question of my own: Is it possible that life tests us, not God, and that God walks through whatever circumstances we face with us? The question got us both thinking and talking.

 I am grateful for my life, both the parts I see as good and the parts I see as challenging. I am grateful for the fact that I don’t always see the total picture, and that negative situations or circumstances can turn out for the better. Such challenges can offer a new perspective on life and lead us to trusting God for resolution, whether or not we receive the resolution we want. I am grateful for my friend, his struggle and the conversations we shared. He’s giving that practical exercise a try, difficult as it is. Hopefully, he will find plenty to be grateful for within it.

As Christ-followers, we are grateful that our lives are in Christ Jesus. We give thanks and express our joy, appreciation and gladness for all that he has done in our lives. As we breathe, think, walk, dance and love, we do so in him, with him, by him and through him. That is the will of God the Father for us in Christ Jesus. In all circumstances, in everything, we give thanks. We are truly grateful, for he walks with us.

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