Thankful No Matter What

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 KJV 1900

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

INTRODUCTION

We should be grateful for every opportunity for God’s blessing.

Blessing pertains to favorable situations, conditions, and experiences enjoyed by the person or persons to whom the blessings belong. It can either refer to pronouncements intended to bring about these beneficial circumstances, or to the resulting circumstances themselves.

Genesis 1:28–30 KJV 1900

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Paul’s advice to the church at Thessalonica was “Be joyful” (“Rejoice always”—v. 16), “Be prayerful” (“Pray w/o ceasing”—v. 17) & “Be thankful” (“In everything give thanks”—v. 18). We are to be thankful in all circumstances, even hardships & affliction. Barclay states, “There is always something for which to give thanks. Even on the darkest day there are blessings to count. We must always remember that if we face the sun the shadows will fall behind us, but if we turn our backs on the sun all the shadows will be in front.” The great drama of the Bible centers in the belief that God is at work for good in the lives of His people, no matter what. There was nothing good in Joseph’s brothers selling him to the Ishmaelite traders. There was nothing good about the injustices he experienced from Potiphar’s wife. But, in retrospect, Joseph could say of it all: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20). We must never forget that God is at work in and through, and often in spite of the "things." Tell us Paul, “What are you thankful for?”

I. COMFORT: BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S SUFFICIENT STRENGTH (2 Cor. 2:14) “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ”-- It’s remarkable that with all the pressure, persecution, and opposition he had experienced that Paul would think of his ministry in terms of triumph and not defeat. He was grateful for all the strength God gave him to cope with all the difficulties he experienced in his ministry.

II. CONFIDENCE: BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT (2 Cor. 9:15) “Thanks be unto God for His (unspeakable) indescribable gift.” Thanks is the word charis (“grace, favor”). Believers are to bestow “favor” on God because of His favors bestowed on them. His greatest gift is eternal salvation, spiritual riches, through His rich Son who became poor (2Co_8:9).

III. CONQUEST: BE THANKFUL FOR COMPLETE VICTORY IN CHRIST (1 Cor. 15:57-58) “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”-- Through faith in Him, we have victory over death and the grave.

CLOSING:

1. How thankful are you really?

Illus: “It isn’t what you have in your pocket that should make you thankful, but what you have in your heart!!”

2. Are you thankful no matter what? Illus: “He who forgets the language of thanksgiving will never be on speaking terms with real happiness.”

Illus: The following was in HOME LIFE: “Some years ago in Nashville, Tennessee, my wife wanted to buy some additional items for our Thanksgiving dinner. The cart was almost full and we were about ready to go when my wife was addressed by a man wanting to know how big a turkey he ought to buy. Then he wanted to know how to cook it. My wife told him patiently as much as she could standing in the market. ‘But could you tell me what I ought to cook it with?’ At that point my wife more fully understood the man’s need for assistance and went up and down the aisles selecting the things he needed for a good dinner. She told him how each should be cooked. As we turned to go the man with a great deal of emotion sought to express his gratitude for my wife’s courtesy. I think I shall never forget that man’s final remarks: ‘We have just come from the cemetery where I buried my wife. The children have just lost their mother, but I don’t want them to lose their Thanksgiving dinner—we still have much for which we are thankful.’”

Choosing to live a life filled with joy, grace, happiness and gratitude is sometimes hard, but always good.

I Am

Thankful for Each New Day

Thankful for Being Uniquely Me

Thankful for My Life Purpose

Thankful for Good Friends

Thankful for My Home

Thankful for the Mamas and Papas

Thankful for the Awesome Examples of Jesus

Thankful for the Little Things

Thankful for Love

Thankful for Prayer

Thankful for Our Heroes

Thankful for Change

Thankful for Positive Spirit

Thankful for Creation

Thankful for Worship

Thankful for Freedom

Thankful for Good Health

Thankful for God

Thankful for the Holy Spirit

Thankful for Salvation

Thankful for Birthdays

Thankful for Faith