How do you express gratitude for Jesus?
Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away, if you live in the United States and are listening to this episode on the day it’s published.
Now, even if you’re listening or reading this later in the week, next week, or several months from now, or if you live in a country where there is no official day of Thanksgiving, or it’s at a different time of year, I hope that gratitude is an important part of your everyday life.
As I’ve mentioned before here on the podcast, my wife and I have a gratitude practice of sharing at least three things we’re grateful for each night before we go to sleep. It’s usually many more than three. Sometimes it’s gratitude for the tiny little details that went well that day. Sometimes it’s for much more significant things, like a goal achieved, a thoughtful note from a friend, or a healing.
And whether we say the words or not, underpinning all these things we’re grateful for, is our gratitude for God’s love, the many blessings we have experienced, and the protection and lessons learned during challenging situations.
Gratitude for Jesus
So with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve been thinking of what I am most grateful for. One of my spiritual goals this year has been to simplify my life and get back to the basics. And in light of that, what I’m really most grateful for right now is the fact that Jesus came to Earth about 2,000 years ago and taught us to think, pray, and love in a whole new way.
Jesus told us about the kingdom of heaven and how to experience it here and now. And most importantly, he overcame the world’s hatred, all the evil and sin in the world, by his victory over death through the resurrection.
But he didn’t stop there. He commissioned his disciples to preach his gospel of salvation and the kingdom of heaven throughout the whole world. You and I have received this gospel as a result. Wouldn’t it be interesting to be able to trace the way Jesus’s message of salvation came to you, from one of the original disciples, to someone who heard them preach and teach, who then shared it with someone else, all the way down until the present time.
So this Thanksgiving, I’m thinking especially about how grateful I am for Jesus.
Ways to express gratitude
When someone does something nice for you or gives you a gift, it’s only natural to say: Thank you. You can write them a letter, give them a call, send a text message. You might even do something nice for them in return. You might pay it forward to someone else. There are so many ways to express your gratitude to and for someone.
But you can’t just call Jesus up on the phone, send him a letter or a text message. You can’t just walk up to him on the street or at church and say: Thank you.
So how can we express our gratitude for Jesus?
Feeling gratitude for Jesus in your heart
Well, the obvious place to start is to feel this gratitude in your heart. It’s easy to say the words that you’re grateful for Jesus and all he has done for you. But honestly, sometimes those are just the words we know we’re supposed to say.
Take some time just to ponder all the ways you’re grateful for Jesus and all he has done, not just for you, but for all mankind.
This kind of gratitude automatically becomes a prayer of thanksgiving to God. You can always thank God for sending Jesus.
Jesus often referred to God as the one “that sent me.” (See John 6:40 below)
So if you’re feeling grateful for Jesus, you’re actually thanking God. That seems pretty obvious, but it’s important to acknowledge that God sent Jesus to earth.
How often do you thank God for sending His Son to earth?
Gratitude more that words
The interesting thing about gratitude is that it can’t just remain words and feelings. It needs to be expressed in what we do and the way we act.
Jesus said
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15 ESV
We could paraphrase that: If you’re grateful for Jesus, you will keep his commandments. Jesus didn’t just arbitrarily make up some rules we’re supposed to follow blindly. He gave us powerful spiritual guidelines to keep us on the spiritual path he established for us through his example.
And when we do all Jesus told us to do, we are following him, following his teachings, and this is a wonderful way to express gratitude for Jesus.
Gratitude in action
Let’s say your Aunt Sally gave you the recipe for her prize-winning chocolate cake, which you think is the best cake you’ve ever tasted. Would you just write her a thank you note or tell her in person how grateful you are? Well, that’s a good place to start.
But a better way to express your gratitude is to get all the ingredients, follow the recipe, and make the cake for yourself and share it with others. Then let Aunt Sally know how much everyone enjoyed it.
When someone tells me they made one of my recipes and everyone loved it, it makes feel appreciated. They’re really putting their gratitude into action.
And if Aunt Sally’s not trying to guard the recipe as a family secret, you might even share the recipe with those who wanted it so they could make it for themselves. If Aunt Sally is the type of person who would appreciate that gesture, it could be a wonderful way to express your gratitude to her for sharing the recipe with you in the first place.
Gratitude for Jesus means following his example
Think of how this idea applies to how we express our gratitude for Jesus. First we need to take the recipe for life he has given us and do what he has told us to do. We need to follow his instructions for life. We need to follow his example. We need to follow him.
What better way to show you appreciate and are grateful for everything Jesus did than to follow in his footsteps.
Paul says
…we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV
So expressing gratitude for Jesus is not just about doing what Jesus told us to do, but thinking like Jesus, embracing his mind, his way of thinking, as our own.
But how on earth do we do that?
Gratitude for Jesus means knowing his words and actions
Well, you can always ask God for help and direction, which is always a good place to start. But one of the best ways to get to know the mind of Christ and understand how Jesus was thinking is to study everything he said and did.
When was the last time you read through all four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Or even just one of them?
It’s so important to be close to what Jesus said and did. I encourage you to pick one of the Gospels you haven’t read through recently and read it with a pen or pencil and some paper at hand. As you read, make a list of everything Jesus said to do, how he told us to think and pray, how he told us to love each other, and any other categories that you think are important.
As you read and make these notes, notice how Jesus acted, how he prayed, and how he treated others. Were his thoughts and actions in line with the way he expected us to live? Absolutely.
Treating others the way Jesus would
When you follow Jesus’s example in the way he thought and lived and loved, it will be the most natural think in the world to treat others the way Jesus did. This is a wonderful way of expressing gratitude for Jesus.
Let’s get a little more specific about the way you treat others as a way to express gratitude for Jesus.
What if you treated everyone you met the way Jesus would treat them? That would certainly be following his example.
Now you may be thinking: Hey James, that sounds pretty good, but I have a hard time loving some people the way Jesus would have, especially the people who have been mean to me or took advantage of me. I can’t even forgive them, let alone love them.
I totally understand. This can be tough sometimes. And what I have learned over many years is there’s no way to love and forgive those people the way Jesus would without embracing the mind of Christ. You just can’t do it on your own.
If you’ve have a hard time forgiving and loving someone, maybe it’s because you’ve been trying to do it using your own mind. When you embrace the mind of Christ as your starting point for love and forgiveness, it will be much easier to be obedient to the call Jesus puts on your heart toward others.
Treating others the way you would treat Jesus
Remember what Jesus said about the people who ministered to those in need?
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:35, 36 NIV
When they said they never saw Jesus in these situations, he replied,
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40 NIV
It’s one thing to express gratitude for Jesus by treating others the way you think he would have treated them. But you take it to a whole new level when you treat others, and by this I mean everyone you meet, the exact same way you would treat Jesus.
That’s what Jesus says we’re doing. However you’re treat someone else is how you’re treating Jesus.
And why would you even try to treat others the way you would treat Jesus? Because of your gratitude for him and all he has done.
Embracing the mind of Christ
Let’s come back to this idea of embracing the mind of Christ as your own. There are so many facets to the mind of Christ, or the way Jesus thought. And I’ll share just a few of them here. I talk about these things a lot on The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, but they’re especially important in this conversation about how we express our gratitude for Jesus.
Jesus made it very clear he was not here on earth to do his own will.
I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. John 5:30 NLT
This is a pretty high standard for us to follow, but it is possible. And, obviously, you can’t achieve this by using your own human will to do it. It’s about letting go of your will, not using it, and joyfully and willingly embracing God’s will.
But how did Jesus know what God’s will was in every situation? It’s because he was always listening for God’s voice. In fact he says he only says what God tells him to.
For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. John 12:49, 50 NIV
Jesus only does God’s will and only says what God tells him to. That’s pretty amazing. That’s a pretty high standard for us but it is something we can strive for.
What Jesus does
And on top of all this, Jesus says he can only do what he sees God doing.
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19 NIV
Think about how that can apply to you and me.
If you really, I mean really, want to express your gratitude for Jesus, you’ll strive to emulate him in these ways: to set aside your will to do God’s will, to only say what God tells you to say, and to let what you see God doing be the model for your actions.
Now, if you can only maintain that way of thinking and acting even for just five minutes, that’s okay. It’s a good place to start. The more you strive to follow Jesus in this way, the better you’ll get at it.
Why follow Jesus?
Have you ever thought of why we should want to follow Jesus in the first place? For me, it’s the fact that he is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Jesus’s deep hope was for mankind to see and acknowledge that he was, is, and always will be the Messiah.
You can be grateful for Jesus and all he did and taught, but you’ll never experience the fullness and the blessing of that gratitude without recognizing and accepting him as the Messiah. Don’t believe in Jesus because I or anyone else told you that you need to or have to. Ask God to show you what you need to know about Jesus.
Now if you are actively striving to follow Jesus’s way of thinking, praying, and loving, you’re going to start acting more and more like him. You will be more and more like him and your life will be different.
When you follow Jesus
You’ll forgive people who mistreated you. You’ll love your enemies. You will be a peacemaker. You will have compassion on people who are suffering and you’ll be able to bring healing and hope to them. And so much more.
At some point, it will be only natural to tell whoever will listen, the difference that following Jesus has made in your life. And you’ll want to support others in their desire to follow Jesus.
The more you follow Jesus and help others do the same, the more you are expressing your gratitude for Jesus and all he has done for you, and really the whole world. Being grateful for Jesus is like a light in your heart that shines out, lighting up the darkness, and helping others discover and come to the light. It’s really putting your gratitude into action.
This Thanksgiving I hope you’ll remember all the many blessings you have to be grateful for. But don’t lose your focus on the most important thing of all.
How will you express your gratitude for Jesus?
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
John 6:40 KJV
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 14:15 ESV
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV
16 …we have the mind of Christ.
Matthew 25:35, 36 NIV
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Matthew 25:40 NIV
40 ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
John 5:30 NLT
30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
John 12:49, 50 NIV
49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.
John 12:49, 50 NIV
49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.
