Give Thanks

Intro

It is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from Thanksgiving. I hope that as you gather with family and friends over the next week or so that you do take some time to express your thankfulness.

Sometimes thats hard to do, especially if when you look around at your life and circumstances you don’t see a whole lot to be thankful for.

This is often true when we are going through a trial or difficulty of some kind. If we are suffering for some reason or experience heartache.

This morning I want to look at the importance of being thankful. And I want to start by explaining how important perspective is when it comes to being thankful.

Because often times our ability to be grateful has everything to do with the perspective we have regarding the things going on in our lives.

I found this interesting illustration online when I was preparing for this message this morning and I want to read it to you.

Listen to this text message a college student once wrote to her parents:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m so sorry I haven’t called or texted for a while. Unfortunately, all my phone was destroyed the night our dorm was set on fire by the demonstrators. I’m out of the hospital now, and the doctors say my eyesight should return, sooner or later. The wonderful boy, Bill, who rescued me from the fire, kindly offered to share his little apartment with me until the dorm is rebuilt. He comes from a good family, so you won’t be surprised when I tell you we’re going to be married. In fact, since you’ve always wanted a grandchild, you’ll be glad to know that you’ll be grandparents in several months.

Then in a second text a few minutes later she wrote:

P.S. Please disregard the above. There was no fire, I haven’t been in the hospital, I’m not pregnant and I don’t even have a steady boyfriend. But I did get a D in French and an F in Chemistry and I just wanted to be sure you received the news in proper perspective.

Perspective really is everything isn’t it? There is a saying that perception is reality.

In other words it doesn’t matter if something is factually true. What matters is whether or not someone perceives it to be true.

We may look at someone’s circumstances and say how terrible something is, but to them it is an occasion for joy.

I recently learned of someone I know losing their job. From the outside looking in I thought how terrible; especially with it being so close to the holidays.

However when talking to them they were excited to actually get to be home with their kids this year for the holidays because they are normally travelling for work.

Of course they need another job and are hoping to find one soon, but their perception of what happened to them was a blessing more than it was a curse.

Their perception shaped their response. Rather than getting depressed, anxious, and angry. They saw this as an opportunity to spend more time with their family.

Power in the Text

In the Bible we see another person who’s perception of their circumstances shaped their response.

Philippians 2:14-18 NLT 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

When you read this it sounds like the person writing it was one of those annoying glass is always half full kind of people doesn’t it?

One of those, well you just need to look on the bright side, every cloud has a silver lining, when God closes a door he opens a window kind of people.

I can say that because I am usually one of those annoying people. At least that is what my wife will tell you.

But it sounds like one of those people who its easy to be so optimistic because they have never had to go through what you are going through.

But in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul. And if we know anything about Paul we know that he suffered for the Gospel.

In fact, Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi when he was in prison, which makes what he is encouraging those believer to do even more pertinent.

“Of all Paul's letters, Philippians is the most consistently positive and personal. It reflects a joyful spirit.

Philippians stresses the importance of living joyfully in spite of his circumstances. Paul did not rebuke this church sharply, nor did he refer to any major problems in it.

Paul is writing this letter with a bigger perspective of who God is in his circumstances and what God is doing in the big picture: spreading his kingdom and reaching people with the Gospel.

He is reminding us today that the world is pull of discontent people who love to argue and complain about how miserable they are.

Paul is telling us “don’t be like them, do everything without complaining and arguing”. This way no one can criticize our response to the difficulties we will inevitably face in this life. Especially if those difficulties come as a result of our work for the Lord.

He reminds us of the temporal reality of this life. That one day Jesus will return and when he does he wants to be able to say he ran his race well.

That he didn’t spend his life feeling sorry for his circumstances but rejoicing in the fact that he had the privilege of knowing Jesus because the sad reality is that there are a lot of people who don’t, and their eternal reality is nothing to be joyous about.

His understanding of eternity was such that he could even rejoice if his suffering led to his death (which it ultimately did) because he knew what would come next.

Can you and I say the same thing? Do we have that eternal perspective?

Or are we so focused on the here and now and what we don’t have and how sick we might be and how unfair we have been treated that we can’t find reason to rejoice?

Big Idea/Why it Matters

Maybe right now you are going through some things. Maybe right now you are facing a trial and are experiencing sorrow. That’s okay. Jesus said that you would..

John 16:33 NLT I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Remember, Jesus really does understand what you are facing...

Hebrews 4:15 NLT 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Jesus is not out of touch with the reality of our difficulties. He is so in touch because he has suffered them himself.

And just like with Jesus, the trouble that you endure has a purpose. For him it was to bring Glory to the Father.

In you and I it is to display the reality of Jesus to the world in a unique way.

2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

The kingdom of God is most clearly shown on earth when Christians gratefully suffer present trouble because they see a future weight of glory coming that makes everything this world throws at them as ‘small momentary afflictions’ in comparison.

So, how can you rejoice in all circumstances? There’s only one way: Jesus way. Look to the joy set before you. Look to the joy yet to come!

If the future joy Jesus promises is real and you believe him, there is no circumstance that can steal your thanksgiving”

Choosing an attitude of thanksgiving is what allows us to rejoice in all circumstances and leads to peace and joy.

Application/Closing

We can truly rejoice when we focus on Jesus and his good purposes.

Philippians 4:4-7 NLT 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Here Paul doesn’t say that if you pray and are thankful then you won’t have any trouble. That life will be easy and suffering will be a distant memory.

What he does say is that when we pray, and in our prayer give thanks for all he has done they he will give us what we need to endure our difficulties.

He will give us peace that doesn’t make sense. He will guard both our hearts and our minds against all the thoughts and feelings that lead to self pity, doubt, anger, and fear.

Instead we will be able to rejoice.

Paul’s connection between prayer and choosing thankfulness is also reflected in his letter to the Thessalonians where he says...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

It’s important to note that Paul doesn’t say we should give thanks for all circumstances. But in the midst of them, we can be thankful for Jesus, for what he has accomplished for us, for our untouchable inheritance that is waiting for us in heaven, and for God’s unchanging character.

And this is an important distinctive. God doesn’t want us to pretend our problems aren’t real. He certainly doesn’t expect us to put on a fake smile and pretend to be happy when all we feel his heartache.

Instead, God wants us to remember that in our suffering, and in our heartache, that we still have so much to be thankful for. And it is this knowledge that can help us through the difficult times.

That even in our sadness and pain we can still have joy because we know how all this is going to turn out.

As the Psalmist says, “weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)