Honor God with Thankfulness

“Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” Psalm 50:23 (NLT)

Anytime I thank someone, I honor that person.

For example, if I say to my wife, “Honey, I’m so grateful for that great Thanksgiving dinner you made,” I just honored my wife. When I say to someone, “Thank you for opening the door for me” or “Thank you for coming to the service,” I am honoring that person. 

An expression of gratitude is a way of honoring another person.

The Bible says that I also honor God when I express gratitude to him. God says this in Psalm 50: “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (Psalm 50:23 NLT).

Why is giving thanks a sacrifice? Because it requires my attention and focus; it takes time and energy to think of things to be grateful for.

When my wife does something thoughtful for me, of course she likes me to say, “Thank you.” But if that’s all I ever did, she might begin to wonder, “Does he really love me, or does he just love me for the things I do for him?”

At some point, I have to start moving to a higher level of thanksgiving—which is not just thanking my wife for what she does but thanking her for who she is. That’s a deeper, more mature kind of thanksgiving.

If all I do is thank God for letting me have something or for giving me this food or for all the things he does for me, it’s worth asking yourself, “Do I really love God, or do I just love the things that God does for me?”

I must learn to thank God not just for what he does but for who he is.

When I thank God for who he is, my prayer might go something like this: “God, thank you that your wisdom is greater than mine. Thank you that you know what will make me happy more than I do. Thank you that you’re consistent when I’m inconsistent. Thank you for your love and your mercy, and that you’re always fair. Thank you that even when I don’t understand something, I know you have my best interests at heart.”

That kind of gratitude goes beyond “Thank you, God, for our food” to “Thank you, God, for who you are.” And it’s the kind of gratitude that honors God and gives me deeper spiritual roots.

In summary:

Giving thanks is a powerful act of honor, not just toward people but toward God himself. Psalm 50:23 teaches that gratitude is a sacrifice because it requires intention, focus, and genuine reflection. While thanking others—or God—for what they do is meaningful, mature gratitude goes deeper by appreciating who they are. In the same way we honor loved ones by valuing their character, we honor God when we thank Him for His wisdom, consistency, love, mercy, and goodness—not just His gifts. This deeper form of thanksgiving strengthens our relationship with Him and deepens our spiritual roots.

Bottom line:

True gratitude honors God—not just for what He gives, but for who He is.

Next step:

Today, thank God for one character trait of His—something about who He is, not just what He has done.