Don't actually say "thank you"

Every Sunday I teach myself something and this week was no exception.

After last Sunday I will forever be changed in the way I think about something that I do every day.  Eph 5:20 instructs us to have an attitude of thanksgiving which I have always tried to do.  I also work to teach my boys to say thank you because that shows politeness and good manners.  Well, as I studied the idea of thankfulness I was struck by how much more it means to be thankful than simply saying thank you.  I guess it all does start there, but how many people are stuck at a 4 year old level of thankfulness?

What I mean is that if I get good at saying thank you I'm just doing what I've taught my 4 year old son to do, and there's a long way for me to go before I achieve what God wants for me in this area of my life.  In other languages there are idiomatic phrases that are used instead of "thanks," i.e. "that makes my heart warm," or "may God repay you."  In fact, in the very ancient languages you won't find an exact word that is by itself translated "thanks."  In ancient Hebrew you will typically see the word "praise" or "bless" which have much more meaning than "thank you."

So, if you want to graduate beyond 4 year old thanksgiving to a more Godly thanksgiving, start doing what I'm starting to do.  Stop saying "thanks" and in place of that word substitute,
   - I appreciate that you ...  (be specific about a quality that made you thankful for them)
   - (Brag in front of someone else)  I noticed that you always finish the jobs you start and you put a lot of effort into your work!
   - (Contribute something of value)  You work hard and with such a great attitude - can I take you out for lunch (or give you ...) as a token of my appreciation.

Leave a comment of an example of how you've done this recently.