Why Give Thanks to God?

Scripture — Psalm 107:1 (NRSV)

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Devotion

Why should we give thanks to God on Thanksgiving Day?

One answer to this question comes from American history. Though it took more than a century to work out the specific details of the holiday, the roots of Thanksgiving Day go back in time. In 1789, for example, President George Washington called the new nation to set aside the fourth Thursday in November as a day for rendering to God “our sincere and humble thanks” as well as to ask the Lord to “pardon our national and other transgressions.” Similarly, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as “a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” It was also to be a time for “humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience.” Following in the footsteps of Washington and Lincoln, presidents of all political persuasions have issued proclamations calling upon Americans to acknowledge a day of national gratitude. (We do, however, seem to have forgotten about the penitence part!)

So, those of us who live in the U.S. might say we should give thanks on Thanksgiving Day because our president urges us to do so. But surely there are other reasons to give thanks to God, on Thanksgiving Day and every day, in addition to presidential proclamations.

We might rightly explain that we give thanks to God because Scripture tells us to do so. Psalm 107:1, for example, says, “O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” You can find similar exhortations more than 100 times in the Bible. So, obedience to Scripture is an excellent reason to give thanks to God.

But, going a bit deeper, we recognize that we should thank God because God deserves it. Basic human intuition and accepted cultural practices teach us that it’s right to say “thank you” to anyone who does something good for you. Thus, given the multiple benefits we have from the Lord, we certainly ought to say plenty of “thank yous.” We give thanks to the Lord because God’s steadfast love endures forever and we are beneficiaries of this love.

Interestingly enough, we might be encouraged to express thanksgiving because it actually benefits us to do so. Recent psychological research underscores the value of expressing thanks. For example, one of the world’s leading experts on gratitude is Robert A. Emmons, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Davis. For years, Emmons has done extensive research on gratitude and its influence in our lives. He has written several books, dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles, and many more popular pieces on this subject. In his fascinating article, “Why Gratitude is Good,” Emmons cites research that shows that people who practice gratitude experience the following benefits: stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, better sleep, more joy and pleasure, more compassion, and less loneliness. Harvard Health, in “Giving thanks can make you happier,” reports on Emmons’s research. The article notes that in a study done by Emmons, people who wrote down things for which they were grateful “were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.” (If you’d like to learn more about gratitude from Emmons, check out this video from Fuller Studio.)

Gratitude, as it turns out, isn’t helpful only for our personal lives. It also seems to make a difference in the workplace. In “The Science of Gratitude,” researcher Summer Allen, Ph.D., writes, “Though there has not been a great deal of research explicitly focused on gratitude in the workplace, a handful of studies suggest that gratitude may help employees perform their jobs more effectively, feel more satisfied at work, and act more helpfully and respectfully toward their coworkers.” I know that when I thank God for my work, I do feel more satisfied. I expect I also act more helpfully and respectfully toward my coworkers! At least I hope so.

Now, it would be rather selfish if you and I invested our time and energy in thanking God mainly because it’s good for us. Gratitude, by its very nature, turns our hearts outward, focusing on the goodness of others rather than on our personal benefits. However, the fact that gratitude can make such a difference in our lives, including our work, certainly adds to our motivation for giving thanks.

So, during this season of Thanksgiving, by all means give thanks to God as part of a national celebration. Give thanks to God because Scripture urges you to do so. Give thanks for God’s steadfast love at work in your life. Give thanks because it’s the right thing to do. But, as you are thanking God, know that you are also helping yourself to be healthier and happier. May this fact encourage you to practice intentional gratitude, not just once a year, but throughout the year. Pay attention to God’s gifts and thank God. God deserves it . . . and it will make your life better.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: God Undergirds All Work and Productivity (Psalm 107).