Count Blessings, Not Sheep

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

–Colossians 3:17

In her memoir, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom shared how she learned to be thankful in every circumstance. She and her sister, Betsie, had been moved to the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbrück, where the barracks were overcrowded and flea infested. As they looked at their new quarters, Betsie began thanking God that they were still together, that the guards hadn’t taken Corrie’s Bible, and that the barracks were crowded because it meant more people would hear their Bible study. Finally, Betsie prayed, “Thank You for the fleas–”

Corrie interrupted. “Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” Betsie didn’t back down. “‘Give thanks in all circumstances,’” she said, quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’” So Corrie reluctantly thanked God for the fleas. As the days passed, Corrie and Betsie were able to conduct Bible studies without any intrusion from the guards. Why did the guards stay away? You guessed it–the fleas!

Learning to thank God for everything in our lives is one sign of becoming like Jesus Christ. In Colossians 3:15–17, Paul shared four steps for becoming like Christ–or, as we’ve called it, becoming a heavenly minded Christian. Step one: let the peace of Christ have the final say in your life. Step two: make God’s Word part of your everyday life. Step three: be ministry-focused instead of self-focused. This week, we’re going to look at step four: regularly express gratitude to God.

Throughout Colossians, Paul talked about the importance of making gratitude a regular part of your life. Notice in these three verses how many times Paul mentioned thankfulness: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (emphasis mine). Why does the Bible place such an emphasis on being thankful? Because praising God for what He’s done for us keeps our hearts and affections focused on “the things above, where Christ is” (v. 1). If we’re going to stay focused on Jesus Christ and becoming like Him, we have to learn to express gratitude to God regularly.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Count Blessings, Not Sheep” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place, 35th anniv. ed. (Grand Rapids: Chosen, 2006), 209–10, 222.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.