The Glory of God has to do with the weight, the girth, the bigness of God. His magnificent beauty, his extraordinary might, his incredible greatness.

So to give God glory doesn't mean we have the power to make him bigger or more beautiful than he already is. It is more the idea of giving him the honor and the praise that his glory is due. It is to point at, to reflect, to celebrate the glory that he already has.

And one primary way we do this is by giving thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Give thanks in all circumstances…….

For this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus - this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus. This is what it means to be an image-bearer of god.

This brings God glory.

But how?

How does giving thanks bring God glory?

And how can we do it in all circumstances?

HOW DOES GRATITUDE BRING GOD GLORY?

When I give our 2-year old daughter Sienna a little treat (she doesn’t have much junk food snacks, so when she gets it she loves it), her eyes light up and she gets all excited and jumps up and down.

And her appreciation makes me feel good.

We love to do things for people who are grateful. It makes us feel good. We like when our efforts are appreciated. It brings us…well....

.....glory.

It makes us feel like we've made a difference. Had an impact.

So to give thanks to God, to express our gratitude for who he is and what he has done, is declaring -- both to God and to our own souls -- "God, You Have made an impact on my life! I recognize your glory in my life."

Another way gratitude brings glory to God is by pointing others to how great God is. When we meet a thankful person, we all wonder, "Why is this person so thankful? What happened to them? Something has been given to them - what is it?"

So when others look at us, if we are filled with gratitude toward God, they’re gonna’ think, maybe not on a conscious level but at least on a subconscious level, “What’s going on? Who is their God that makes them so thankful?"

BUT HOW CAN WE GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES?

Paul sounds a little out of touch with reality here. Doesn't he know that all circumstances are not considered gifts and blessings?

Or, worse, is he telling us to express thankfulness to God even if we don't feel thankful? That would feel pretty hypocritical. And phony. Is Paul asking us to be phonies?

No, I think he's saying, “Express joy and gratitude in order to feel more joyful and grateful." If you do it just for the sake of doing it, for appearances, then it’s hypocritical. But if we do it so that our hearts would be anchored once again in God's goodness, then it’s completely right and good and wise.

And science backs this up. Studies show that making lists of what we are thankful for actually lead to us "feeling" more thankful and joyful. It sort of kick-starts our brains to focus on that which makes us happy.

SO HERE'S A CHALLENGE THIS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Take some time -- maybe just 20 minutes -- and grab a piece of paper or your computer or ipad or whatever you can write with.

Then start making a list of what God has done for you and given you. Here are some questions to get you thinking:

What Has God Done for You in Your Life?
*if you have trouble with this one, read this passage: Colossians 1:1-23. Or this one: Ephesians 1:3-14

What Has God Done for you this past week?

What Has God Done for you yesterday?

Where is God at work in the lives of those around you?

What prayers has he answered this past year?

What is God teaching you / showing you?

What are some areas of needed growth that he has graciously revealed to you?

What Do you have to look forward to this week? This year?

What wrong or injustice or pain in your life will God do away with when Jesus returns?

What are some unique blessings about where you live? And what you own?

What are some unique blessings about the season of life you are in?

Hopefully that can get you thinking. And writing. And giving thanks.

Thus giving God the glory that He is worthy of.