"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20 ESV).
The encompassing-ness of this verse is something else. Look at the 'always' and the 'everything'. There's no time when not to be giving thanks.
And to whom do we give thanks? God the Father. We give this thanks in Jesus' name.
As a further parameter of giving thanks, look at verse 4 of Ephesians 5.
"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out to place, but instead let there be thnksgiving."
Whether there's filthy or foolish talk, or crude joking, or, I'll add, constant critical remarks, we need to replace all these with wholesomeness, generated by thanksgiving and thankfulness.
I'm impressed with verse one also.
"Be ye followers of God, as dear children" (KJV).
Or, as the ESV puts it,
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."
If we are followers and imitators of God, as His children, we will walk circumspectly. We will do as Jesus has done.
It's like the game many of us have likely played in childhood - Follow-the-Leader. Each action the leader makes has to be mimicked by all the others as they march in single-file step, one behind the other. Often the followers will sing,
"We're following the leader,
the leader, the leader.
We're following the leader."*
So, as we follow Jesus our Leader, our actions need to mirror His. Paul tells the Ephesians some of the ways in which to execute the actions.
Thanksgiving, with wholesome talk seems to be at the top of the list. So often we forget this. We can train ourselves to be more pro-active by recording at least one thing a day, no matter how insignificant we may think it is, and give the Lord Jesus our thanks.
When we intentionally seek out the things which we can be thankful for, we may just surprize ourselves. As we amas a collection of thankful-for items, review them, thankfulness may well well up in our hearts and give us joy in the name of Jesus.
When we walk as God's followers and children we will walk as "children of light" (vs 8), doing what's good and right; we will be filled with the Holy Spirit (vs 18); we will walk wisely (vs15); we will be addressing one another, not with negative words but with singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
For some reason, this amuses me. Can you imagine that the next time you go to church, and instead of saying "Hello," "How's your week been?" you start singing a psalm or spiritual song to the brother or sister?
If we truly 'walked' in this manner, the joy of thanksgiving will be on our lips and in our demeanor. I dare you to try it and see what happens. 😀
Father God, we give you our thanks and praise for making us Your sons and daughters and then teaching us ways to follow You. We may sing, "I will follow You whereever You may go" but we don't always measure up. Thank You for Your understanding in knowing we are but dust and therefore, often fail. Help us to joy in our God - that's You, Father and to sing of Your love, mercy and grace, giving thanks always. May we truly sing Your praises when addressing each other in Your family.
May our speech and actions always please You. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven as we march in step with Jesus and Your Holy Spirit as Your children and followers. In our Lord Jesus Christ's name, we follow. Amen.
~ ERC September 2026 ~
Based on Ephesians 5: especially vs 2, 4, 8, 9, 15 and 18-20 ESV.
Sing, Now Thank We All Our Father, along with Hymns of Grace.
*Lyrics from the 1953 Disney animated film Peter Pan song called "Following the Leader."
NOTE: This does not mean I condone this film. Following Jesus is the one and only leader for me.
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