Vague Credit

First of all, I want to thank God, for without Him, none of this would have been possible.

This week, I've been taking a look at this phrase. It doesn't thrill me, but I think we can learn from it. However, even if the athlete chose to say, "First of all, I want to thank Jesus Christ, for without Him, none of this would have been possible," I think the statement can be improved.

While the above statement is true, for all things have been made by, for and unto Him, He is therefore worthy of all thanksgiving, the listener is still left to wonder just what you mean. By simply saying you are thankful for all things, you are actually thanking Him for nothing.

So what should you thank Jesus for? The win? I always find that troubling, for what do you make of the fact that other players/fans were probably rooting for the other team. You could thank Jesus for your health, but again, this could seem awkward if another player was injured during the game. You could thank Jesus for your gifts, skills, abilities, breaks, contract, teammates or opportunity, however, trying to list all of these things could make you sound like the NASCAR driver who tries to rattle off every sponsor in less than four seconds.

How about thanking Jesus for the most central thing He has ever done for you?

Ultimately, whatever the outcome of the game, it's still just a game. Despite the grace of your physical health, it's still just your physical help. No gracious blessing you could receive will mean a thing if you still stand before God condemned for your sins. The athlete may not get the chance to say, "Hey, this is only a game," without the statement being misconstrued as apathy or complacency. He doesn't need to state how his salvation exceeds all other blessings he has received. Simply by only giving thanks for your salvation, you automatically place it out front and center.

In the same way, we should seek to take our speech to the gospel. We should seek to take opportunities to thank Jesus not just for the blessings we've received in life, but for the most blessed work He did for us. Don't always attempt to thank Him for everything, for without the gospel, none of it would mean anything.