Living in His Name: Giving Thanks Through Every Word and Deed

Colossians 3:17

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIV)

One way we give thanks is by doing everything in the name of Jesus.

This is another phrase we often say without taking the time to consider the full weight of what it means. A person’s name represents them. It represents their most prominent characteristics or accomplishments. We can think of a well-known athlete and immediately know that person’s name, but we also associate that person with certain qualities. We may think of their talent, work ethic, the number of championships they won, or all of the above. Because we don’t necessarily know them personally, our thoughts are limited to what we know. For example, we may not consider how good a father they are. A name represents a person to the degree that we know them and what we know about them.

To give thanks in His name, we must first know His name and what it means. Jesus is God, who became a man, to die as a man, in place of mankind, to deliver humanity from Adam’s sin. He is holy. He is love. He is compassionate. He loved everyone. He did not gloss over sin. He did not ignore hypocrisy. He is the wisdom of Heaven, the bread of Heaven, the peace of Heaven. He is our Lord. He is our Friend. He is our Savior. He is God.

To do things in His name is to conduct everything we do with His characteristics and for His purposes. He lived a life of holiness, love, joy, worship, and prayer. He lived life with kindness, compassion, dedication, integrity, and purity. His purpose in all that He did was to lead people to the Father, whether through His teachings or through the way He treated those He encountered. He did good to all.

If we go to work, but our behavior doesn’t reflect a desire to be a blessing to those we work with and those we work for, then we are not acting in His name.

But when we live in His name, we give thanks to God who gave us Christ for salvation, and also as a pattern of how to live life so we may enjoy the fullness of God’s presence. How can we say we are thankful for a gift if we toss it into the closet, never using it? How can we say we are thankful to God for Christ and His way if we neglect Him and live according to our own desires rather than the way He revealed?

Prayer: Lord, let me remember that You provided salvation and abundant life through my Lord Jesus. Help me to show gratitude by living in His name. Amen.