If we want to see an example of a life flipped upside down, we need to look no further than the Apostle Paul. He went from being a Pharisee devoted to the destruction of Christians to a believer in Jesus who spread the gospel across the Roman Empire.
The reason for his radical change was an encounter with the living Lord Jesus. After meeting the Savior, He was never the same.
Christians today can read about the life of the Apostle Paul in Acts and his epistles. We may become daunted by Paul’s service, but if we deeply study his life, we can learn important spiritual lessons.
Although one article would be too short to cover everything that Paul’s life and writings teach us, within this article, I hope to highlight lessons of gratitude from the life of the Apostle Paul. These lessons apply to all Christians, not merely those who seem to be spiritual giants.
1. Live in Continual Thanksgiving for God’s Grace
Despite all of Paul’s accomplishments as a missionary and apostle, he did not boast in any of his works. He would only boast in the Lord and his weaknesses, through which God’s strength was exemplified (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14, NLT).
Paul lived with an ongoing awareness of the grace of Jesus. He declared himself to be the least among the apostles and the worst of sinners, through whom Christ decided to reveal Himself and demonstrate the wealth of His grace (1 Corinthians 15:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:15). The apostle was forever grateful for the salvation he received from the Lord.
Jesus poured out His grace on Paul, but He has also done that for all believers. None of us deserve Christ’s love or mercy, but He saved us (Titus 3:5).
The more we meditate on the riches of God’s grace, the more we will find ourselves changed with hearts overflowing with thanksgiving.
Oswald Chambers wrote about this in his classic devotional for the November 20 entry of My Utmost for His Highest: “[t]he thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this.” Neither should we.
Believers should continually offer thanks to Christ, who has saved them from sin and given them new lives.
2. Contentment in Every Circumstance
When Jesus told Ananias to visit Paul (Saul) and heal his blindness, the Lord said that Paul would suffer for His name (Acts 9:16). The Lord’s words came true since Paul would endure hardships and pain throughout his ministry.
He experienced hunger, nakedness, homelessness, sleepless nights, fear of death at the hands of men, imprisonment, beatings, and shipwrecks (1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:4-5; 11:23-27).
Yet, the Apostle Paul learned how to be content in any circumstance (Philippians 4:11-12). The specific circumstance had no bearing on his choice to be content in the Lord, whether he experienced sufficient necessities or lack.
He even instructed believers in multiple of his letters to always give thanks (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
We might read these verses and wonder how Paul could instruct us to be thankful in times of suffering. Remember, he was not writing from a theoretical perspective — he lived out this instruction constantly.
Like Paul, modern believers can give thanks in times of suffering as well as times of goodness because of the Lord’s love and presence. Our focus should be on Him regardless of our circumstances.
Therefore, we can be content and give thanks no matter what happens. This does not mean we celebrate pain and suffering, but that we choose to glorify God and express gratitude for His provision and love amid hardship.
As Paul wrote, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT).
3. Give Thanks for Other Christians
In many of Paul’s letters, he expresses gratitude for the other believers and fellow workers in his life (1 Thessalonians 1:2).
For example, when writing to the church in Philippi, he told them how he gave thanks to God every time he remembered the believers there (Philippians 1:3). Likewise, he gave thanks for the believers in Rome, that their faith was known by others (Romans 1:8).
The believing community in Paul’s life was important. He knew that believers collectively are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12).
Each member is valuable and needed (1 Corinthians 12:15-26). Thus, he gave thanks to the Lord for the fellow Christians in his life and for the churches he served.
The life and writings of Paul remind us that we need to express gratitude for our church community and other Christians in our lives.
These individuals often bring us fellowship, support, and blessing. The believers who walk with us through ordinary days and times of difficulty are our family in Christ.
We can begin thanking God for the other Christians in our lives through prayer, whether written or spoken. Penning a letter or note of thanks to these individuals, reminding them of how grateful we are for their friendship, is another way to express gratitude.
Let us remember those who encourage and challenge us in the Christian walk, giving thanks to the Lord for them.
4. Generosity Is a Practical Expression of Gratitude
Throughout Paul’s ministry, he encouraged generosity. He could not help but give freely of himself to serve the Lord after experiencing the riches of God’s grace.
As he wrote, when referring to the salvation believers receive, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
In a letter to the church in Corinth, Paul encouraged the believers to give and used the Macedonians as an example of faith in action (2 Corinthians 8:1-7). The Macedonian believers had given generously from their resources, though they were poor financially.
To encourage the Corinthians to give, he told them that generosity demonstrates their love for Christ and overflows as thankfulness to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:8-9; 9:11-12).
Giving of ourselves and resources is a way to express love and gratitude to God. When we remember the indescribable gift of salvation that Jesus has given us, we are more willing to live with open hands (2 Corinthians 9:15).
We give thanks to God and desire to bless others because of the riches of grace that He has blessed us with.
The more we practice gratitude, the more we will find ourselves living in generosity. We will delight in supporting a ministry, donating items to bless others, or offering our time to visit shut-ins or church members who are sick.
Coming from a place of thankfulness for all that God has done, giving of ourselves will be done cheerfully instead of grudgingly. We will recognize the truth of Jesus’ words, that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Why Does This Matter?
The life of the Apostle Paul teaches us about the need for gratitude in our daily lives. After encountering the resurrected Lord, He lived in constant awareness of God’s gift of grace.
We should study the apostle’s writings and learn from his example of expressing thanks in every situation, gratefully acknowledging the other believers in his life, and living generously in thanksgiving to the Lord.
For further reading:
5 Lessons on Thankfulness from Hannah’s Prayer of Gratitude
5 Lessons of Gratitude from Joseph’s Life — Pit to Palace
Why Did Paul Say, 'Follow Me as I Follow Christ'?
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