Thanksgiving: God’s Will for You

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Core Idea: We are called to give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. No matter what kind of situation you may be in, may we cultivate a heart of gratitude by looking at the mercies of God, which are constantly affirming His love for us.

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon once again. If you’re new with us, and especially if you’re new to Christianity, I’m so thankful to have you with us. I pray that you’ll come to see how wonderful our God is – and that you’ll experience this incredible love that He has for you today. Children, I hope you enjoyed the video. I know it wasn’t specifically about thanksgiving, but we wanted to teach you that praise and thanksgiving are inseparable. Now, how are they different? Simply put, we praise God for who He is, and we thank God for what He does. But they often go hand-in-hand because as we think about how amazing our God is, we remember all the ways that He loves us too. So, today, take some time to give thanks to God for the many ways He has been there for you, but don’t forget to praise God for who He is as well.

 

Well, today being Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a break from the Gospel of Mark and spend some time thinking about the importance of cultivating gratitude in our hearts. David Mathis said, “God created humanity for gratitude. You exist to appreciate God. He created you to honor Him by giving Him thanks. Appreciating both who God is and His actions for us – in creating us and sustaining our lives – is fundamental to proper human life in God’s created world.” Friends, we are created to give thanks to God – in other words, thanksgiving is delightfully healthy for our souls. Then let me ask you, “What are you thankful for today?”

 

Personally, I have so many things that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful for Alicia who has been faithfully journeying with me, supporting me, loving me. I’m thankful for my two beautiful children, Eli and Julian, who have been the source of both joy and fatigue in my life. I’m thankful for the privilege of leading this church – doing what I love for the people I love. I’m thankful and humbled that despite my flaws and inadequacies, all of you have been incredibly gracious and patient with me. I’m thankful for our children and it fills my heart with joy when I hear them sing. I’m so thankful for our Anchor youths and the way they have been faithfully journeying with us. I’m praying for you by name that God will shape you and mature you to be wonderful men and women of God. Lighthouse church, I’m thankful for all of you because I know that you’re fighting the good fight in the context of your lives – loving God and loving one another. I could honestly share so much more – but let me ask you again, “What are you thankful for today?” Some of you may have endless things to be thankful for. But for others, it may not be so easy because life feels complicated, hard, challenging; you may be discouraged, depressed, desperate. “How can I be thankful when it feels like there’s nothing to be thankful for?” If this is you, I pray that the Holy Spirit will minister to you, comfort you today through the Word of God – helping you to see that even in our darkest moments, there’s always a reason for Christians to be thankful. In fact, I pray that this message will make that reason clear for you so that you may be filled with gratitude once again as the Spirit redirects your attention from life-draining and faith-robbing worries of this world to Christ, who is our life. Then if you have your Bible, please turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Let me read this for us.

 

18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.

 

Paul makes it very clear: for Christians, giving thanks to God is not to be practiced only on certain occasions but it’s a virtue that is meant to be woven into the very fabric of our lives – gratitude should be a mark of all Christians. Then there are three things we can learn from this verse:

·       COMMAND

·       CONTEXT

·       CALLING

 

1)    COMMAND

 

This verse begins by saying, “Give thanks.” Paul doesn’t invite us to give thanks; he doesn’t encourage us to give thanks; he doesn’t even plead with us to give thanks; he commands us to give thanks. Now, why would Paul command us to give thanks? Parents, why would you command your kids to give thanks? Is it because it’s just a nice thing to say? Possibly. But I think it’s because we know that this is good for them – we know that it will cultivate a humble heart in our children. So, even when they don’t want to, even when they forget, we remind them by “commanding” them to give thanks. In the same way, God commands us to give thanks because it’s good for us. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 19:17, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.All of God’s commandments lead to life – in other words, God gives us commandments for our happiness in Him. He’s saying, “Obey because this is good for you.” And the command to give thanks wouldn’t be an exception. Now, we know this to be true just by looking at the opposite of thanksgiving. Thanklessness is extremely detrimental to our souls. Think with me: a thankless heart creates discontentment, which then produces complaints toward God. A thankless heart creates bitterness, which then produces resentment toward God. A thankless heart creates anxiety, which then produces distrust toward God. But, in contrast, a thankful heart creates humility because you understand that everything you have is a gift from God. A thankful heart creates joy because you’re learning to be content with all that you have. A thankful heart creates faith because you’re learning to trust that God is going to take care of you. Pastor Jon Bloom said, “Thanksgiving is not merely a ‘nice’ Christian character trait. It is a sin-conquering force. Gratitude is both a vital indicator of our soul’s health and a powerful defender of our soul’s happiness. Which means we should intentionally cultivate the healthy, happy habit of thanksgiving.” When God commands us to give thanks, not only is He instructing us to do what is right, but it’s out of His loving desire to fill us with hope and joy – to transform us to be more like His Son. All this to say, the command to give thanks is good for us.

 

Then what does this look like practically? What does it mean to obey this command in our lives? First, practice thanksgiving in your relationships with others. For example, express gratitude to your family members. If you’re married, constantly affirm and show your appreciation for the things that your spouse does around the house. Parents, daily remind your children how grateful you are for them. Children and youths, tell your parents how much you appreciate them and how much you love them. Show your friends how thankful you are for them through words, gifts, or simply spending time with them. Send an email to a co-worker thanking them for what they did that went unnoticed. Send a note to your Community Group leaders thanking them for the way they’ve been serving your group. But most importantly, regularly pray a prayer of thanksgiving – thanking God for these people who have blessed you, guided you, helped you, and shaped you in many ways.

 

Second, memorize Bible verses that remind you of the importance of thanksgiving. David Mathis wrote, “When we memorize lines from the Bible, we are shaping our minds to mimic the mind of God. Good theology forms our minds in a general way to think God’s thoughts after Him. But memorized Scripture molds our minds to mimic the folds and creases in the mind of God.” In other words, memorization of truths will begin to transform not only the way you think but also your worldview and your behavior. You won’t just ponder the truth; you’ll begin to live it out. So, here are some verses that you can memorize. Maybe you could do this for yourself, encourage others like your children or your CG to do it with you.  

·       “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18).

·       “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” (Col. 3:17).

·       “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28).

 

Lastly, make it your daily habit to count your blessings. For example, as part of your morning quiet time, write down one way God has been faithful to you. Or every night, take five minutes to replay the day, asking yourself, “How did God meet my needs today?” It’s not complicated but the reality is that too often we don’t spend enough time counting our blessings – in fact, too often we’re busy counting other people’s blessings. No wonder we’re often discontent, discouraged, and distressed. Brothers and sisters, I invite you to take your eyes off of others, off of your circumstances and fix them on God as you count your blessings one by one. Paul Tripp said, “The more you commit yourself to counting your blessings, the more you will have eyes to see specific blessings in your life. The more you require yourself to rehearse the many gifts God has given you in the past, the more you will have eyes to recognize His gifts in the present. Take time to think through all the good things you have in the midst of hard things. Get a journal and every few days write down things for which you can be thankful, that you could never produce on your own. The more your heart is filled with gratitude, the less room there is for complaint. I have learned that no matter how hard a day is, there are beautiful things in that day that I should be thankful for, and there are reasons to celebrate the One who gives them to me.” This is actually something that I started some time ago – writing what I call a Gratitude Journal. Every day, I just write down one thing I’m thankful for, and why. As an example, let me share some of the entries from June:

·       June 9: I’m thankful for our Alpha class. As we started our church, one of the things I didn’t want to forget was cultivating an evangelistic heart in our people. So, we encouraged our people to reach out to their non-believing friends and family and invite them to the class – but I didn’t hear back from anyone for a longest time. But at the last minute, 5 people registered. Today, we talked about prayer – and I shared that they were my answered prayers. Very grateful for them and thankful that God had led them to journey with me.

·       June 11: I’m thankful for Lighthouse church and the way that God has guided us to be where we are today. We had a picnic today. It was so good to see people connecting and getting to know one another. I remember when we had our picnic a year ago – there was a lot of excitement but also doubts and questions. I’m so humbled to see that God has kept us together – allowing us to grow and deepen our love for one another.

·       June 13: I’m thankful for my day of rest. I’m learning how to rest without worrying about how I’m going to finish all the work before me. Slowly but surely, I’m learning to trust God and enjoy time with my family. I still struggle from time to time because I feel overwhelmed, but God is teaching me which I’m very thankful for.

·       June 17: I’m thankful for Eli. He came back from school eager to show me a frame with his handprint that said, “I’m as lucky as can be for the world’s best dad belongs to me!” and gave me a big hug. I love him so much. But recently, Eli has been quite strong-willed, which made things very difficult. I remember one time I expressed my anger in frustration. That night, Eli said, “Daddy, do you still love me?” And I said (with a lot of guilt and shame), “Of course, I do.” To which he replied, “Today, I felt like you didn’t love me. But I know you love me. I love you.” I was so grateful that he was able to forgive me so quickly but more importantly that his understanding of my love for him was constant no matter what.

·       June 19: I’m thankful for my Community Group. They’re so amazing to be around. They’re so generous, hospitable, and passionate for the Lord. I can sense how much love they have for one another. I always feel refreshed and challenged after our meetings – I can see that they are truly fighting to live out the gospel in their life context.

·       June 20: I’m thankful for my mom. She has always been there for me – praying for me daily. Today, she came over to help us with the boys. I’m grateful for her heart of love and the way she sacrifices to support us. This reminds me again how much we cannot do this alone – thankful for the people God has placed in our lives.

I’ll be honest – writing this regularly is not easy. But every time I do, it helps me develop consciousness of God’s activity in my life. I find it so easy to be occupied with so many things that are happening in my life that I easily forget all the ways that God is working in my life. But this practice helped me to heighten my sense of God’s presence in my life – to know that He is with me. But more than that, it was beginning to renew my mind – to see my circumstances differently. It kept me humble and dependent on God even more. Of course, you don’t have to do this – but I encourage you to find your own way of incorporating thanksgiving into your life.

 

Brothers and sisters, know that it is good to give thanks to God. So, count your blessings today – and as you do, I pray that you’ll be surprised by all that God has and is doing in your life. Let us be a church that faithfully and intentionally obeys this command knowing that every good and perfect gift is from God (Jam. 1:17).

 

2)    CONTEXT

 

Let’s read the verse again: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” The command is to be obeyed in the context of all circumstances. Now, notice that this doesn’t say, “Give thanks for all circumstances” but “in all circumstances.” This is a very important distinction. In other words, God is not commanding us to be thankful for the job we just got laid off from. He’s not commanding us to be thankful for the empty seat at our Thanksgiving table because of the loved one we just lost. He’s not commanding us to be thankful for the betrayal that just occurred. He’s not commanding us to be thankful for the troubles we face physically, emotionally, financially, or relationally. No, we’re not commanded to be thankful for all circumstances, but we’re called to be thankful in all circumstances. This is how a Christian meets his/her circumstances – not with indifference, not with resignation, not with complaining, but with unfailing gratitude to God knowing that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39), knowing that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17), knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Rom. 8:28).

 

Now, I wonder if some of you are thinking, “I know that I should be thankful – I know that in my head, but it’s not easy in my situation. No person in their right mind would give thanks if they were in my shoes.” If this is you, I want you to know that I’m not trying to make light of your circumstances. In fact, if you feel like the burden in your life is too heavy, let me carry it with you, let others in this community carry it with you. Let us pray for you, let us help you, let us encourage you, let us cry with you. Open your lives with us so that we may be there for you. Friends, I’m not trying to say, “Just change your perspective and you’ll overflow with thanksgiving!” I’m not trying to crush you with guilt by saying, “Just try harder.” No, not at all – I share this because I know that this command isn’t burdensome but life-giving. “A command bringing comfort?” But it can – I know this because this command comes from the One who understands pain. Jesus knows what it’s like to be betrayed. Jesus knows what it’s like to be misunderstood. Jesus knows what it’s like to be slandered, lied about, and hunted down. He knows what it’s like to be broken, hungry, and abused. He knows what it’s like to lose a loved one and weep. Church, we don’t have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, wounds, and weariness (Heb. 4:15). No, He understands our pain. And while we may desperately long for Him to take us out of our situation, what we can know for sure is that He is with us in our situation – grieving with us, comforting us, encouraging us, breathing life in us. And it’s because of this knowledge we can still give thanks. Remember that joy and peace are both fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of our circumstances. Brothers and sisters, I pray that you’ll experience peace, joy, and thankfulness in all circumstances knowing that He is with you.

 

Just one more thing before we move to our last point. It’s true that it’s hard to give thanks in our pain – but we must also remember that prosperity doesn’t guarantee gratitude as well. When life is good, we think that we’ll surely be grateful. But listen to the warning that Moses gave the Israelites who were about to go into the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years: Deuteronomy 8:10-14, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Moses told the people to guard their hearts because all the good gifts waiting for them – houses and herds, silver and gold – might not produce gratitude, but rather temptation in their hearts. Instead of leading them to praise the Giver, these blessings could lead them into sins of ingratitude and pride if they weren’t careful. And this is no different today. We think that we’ll be thankful and content if we get into the school of our choice, but we still find things to complain about. We think that we’ll be thankful and happy if we get the job of our dreams, but we still find things that disappoint us – making us greedy for more. We think that we’ll be thankful and satisfied if we get married, if we have children, but we still find things that frustrate us – there’s no peace in our hearts. Friends, this is why we need to daily guard our hearts. We’re called to give thanks in all circumstances – may we be careful to observe this command not only when we’re struggling but especially when we’re doing well.

 

3)    CALLING

 

Let’s look at the whole verse one more time, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Now, who is Paul referring to when he says, “For you”? He’s specifically referring to Christians – “for you in Christ Jesus.” He’s not giving this command to the world because they don’t know the source of all joy and gratitude. They don’t know Jesus. They don’t know about salvation. They don’t know the gospel that gives life. But we do. So, if you’re a Christian, if you are His deeply loved adopted child through Christ and what He has accomplished on the cross, this command is for you – and it’s for your good. The amazing thing about this is that if you are in Christ, Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:6 that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” In other words, He doesn’t just command us and leave us to obey it on our own – no, He empowers us to do this. We see this more clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, where Paul says, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” If you think giving thanks in all circumstances is impossible, be comforted that it’s not just up to us – He will do it. He will sanctify you through and through so that you may be able to live this way – He will make this possible.

 

Brothers and sisters, remember all the reasons why we can give thanks in all circumstances. Sin and death have been defeated by the work of Jesus Christ. We have been forgiven through the death of Jesus Christ. We have been made God’s children through the love displayed on the cross. We have access to the very Word of God in our hands and we have access to His holy presence through prayer. God’s mercies are new every single morning. Our God never changes – He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore which means that He is faithful and trustworthy. Church, God never stops being good, so may we never stop giving thanks to Him – may we never stop praising Him. St. Augustine once said, “A Christian should be an Alleluia from head to foot.” Let this be true for all of us today.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Lighthouse family, we are called to give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. No matter what kind of situation you may be in, may we cultivate a heart of gratitude by looking at the mercies of God, His provision, His grace, which are constantly affirming His love for us. Let me end by quoting something one Christian author said, “To give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions. While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving.” Then today, may you experience the greatest joy as you begin to give thanks to our wondrous, awe-inspiring, generous, and loving God.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

 

1)    Why does God command us to give thanks? How can you practically obey this command in your life today?

2)    What keeps you from thanksgiving? How can you foster a thankful heart and an appreciation for God’s work in all circumstances?

3) What are you thankful for today? What are you thankful for the CG you’re part of? Spend some time praying a prayer of thanksgiving with and for one another.

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