remembered them. Seven times in verses 3 through 8, Paul used the pronoun you to refer to his close associates in this Macedonian city. I cannot help but wonder if his habit of thanksgiving was the key to his spiritual success. Gratitude pervades all of his letters. To the Corinthians he wrote, “I thank my God always concerning you” (1 Cor. 1:4). To the Ephesians, “I … do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (1:15–16). To the Colossians it was, “We give thanks to … God …