Economists talk of complementary goods. When the use of one product or service is dependent on or adds value to another, you call them complementary goods. There is a sense in which we can talk of complementary things in scripture, and one that readily comes to mind is prayer and thanksgiving. In our previous meditation, we learned of the necessity of praying without ceasing. One of the ways to oil the wheel of prayer is through thanksgiving. As if to prove that these subjects are indeed complementary, the injunction to pray without ceasing is immediately followed by the one to give thanks – in everything.
There is forward-backward linkage with regards to thanksgiving. The backward loop of thanksgiving is when we pour heartfelt gratitude to God for what He has done for us. It could be when a prayer has been answered or a miracle recorded. When Jesus healed ten lepers, one of them returned to thank Him. The man happened to be a Samaritan. The premium that heaven placed on this could be seen in Jesus’ reaction to this man. He wondered why the other nine cleansed lepers did not also return to offer thanks. He sealed this man’s cleansing by making him whole altogether. The forward loop of thanksgiving occurs when we do it for what is yet to occur. This is indeed an expression of faith.