Thanks is more than an expression; it is a condition of the heart, of a person’s innermost being (Proverbs 4:23). Thanks is not proved by how loud we say it, whether we put “so much” or “very much” after it, or by saying expressions like “thanks a million” or “I appreciate that.” Oftentimes, such expressions are just a formality. Thankfully, they can be so much more.
Now, please do not misunderstand. I do not mean for us to psychoanalyze our use of the terms or of someone else’s use of them towards us. I simply mean to encourage taking a look at what the heart of the matter is. The heart of the matter is indeed the heart; is the heart truly thankful or are the words brought forth from obligation? It is clear from Sacred Scripture that God is not impressed by outward actions, but by the inward heart from which those actions spring forth (1 Samuel 16:7). This is relevant not only to our words of thanks, but to our actions of giving.
“THANKS IS MORE THAN AN EXPRESSION; IT IS A CONDITION OF THE HEART, OF A PERSON’S INNERMOST BEING” (PROVERBS 4:23).
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of giving? Depending on your experiences, perhaps it is attached to amount, conditions, or even general feelings of guilt. You may associate it with being expected to give a certain amount. You may associate it with an expectancy of certain conditions if you are given something; a kind of proving your worth for being given something. You may even associate it with the guilt felt for not feeling worthy of a certain gift.
This side of Heaven, there are all sorts of complications even when it comes to giving. As such, there are legitimate ways in which the above can take place. If you were given money to spend on something meaningful and you spent it unwisely, maybe guilt is a fair response. However, just as love can be both unconditional and covenental in a marriage, so too can giving be. Just as a husband should love his wife freely, so too should people give freely (Luke 6:32-36, and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8). My point in saying all of this is that what you have associated with giving is not the essence of giving itself. Giving is a beautiful thing that not only can help the giftee, but the giver as well. Why? Because it tends to the condition of the heart; in eternity, the material gifts won’t matter, but the heart will.
Just as physical therapy works by not just treating the symptoms, but the cause of a person’s symptoms, so should our attitude towards the heart be. What good does it do to treat all of these different conditions (anger, anxiety, pride, etc.) if we are not tending to the root of them? Jesus beautifully expresses the importance of the heart in the Sermon on the Mount, where He talks about anger, lust, divorce, and the loving of enemies, among many other things (Matthew 5:27-30). Remember, that is the Creator of the Universe telling us what truly matters. I have said it throughtout and I will say it again; it is the heart.
Where is your heart this thanksgiving? That is to say, what is the focus of your innermost being? Are you focused on what truly matters in life? Do you give thanks often, and when you do, is it authentic? Do you give often (remember giving is not just material, but do you give of your time, your talents, etc.)? When we give thanksgiving to God, I believe both thanks and giving both produce fruit in our lives; they both are the fruit of a heart changed and they produce more fruit. How beautiful is that?
God cares about the heart, and He is in the business of making them new and sanctifying them (Ezekiel 36:26). If you do not yet know Christ, and I mean TRULY know Him, I pray that you turn your heart to Him for the salvation of your soul. If you know Him, I pray that you are edified in this season and that our prayers of thanksgiving are lifted up to Him in a spirit of unity. May we “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).
