Thanking Through It

Intro

As a parent, we do our best to raise our kids to act a certain way, especially when they are in public.

With that said there is no worse feeling than when you are in a store and your child is throwing a tantrum because they didn’t get what they wanted.

There is nothing more embarrassing as a parent because you know what everyone is thinking, its the same you thing you think when you see it.

What a brat. Look how selfish that kid is. His parents must just give him whatever he wants.

You just want to crawl in a hole or pretend the kid isn’t yours. We all know what I am talking about. We have all seen it. And most of us would agree that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

Yet, I wonder how often we think that same way about our own selfish behavior. Do we think the complaining and selfish decision-making priorities are any different?

Think of the arguments you have had with your spouse that were rooted in selfish thinking.

Think of the blessings you have missed out on because you were unwilling to give sacrificially because you were willing to give up what you wanted.

Think of the opportunities you have forfeited to do God’s will because it didn’t fit into your schedule.

The truth of the matter is, that selfish thinking, even selfish tantrums are not exclusively a child’s problem. As adults, we often struggle with the same things.

And what is crazy is that if we are self-reflective enough to know we can be selfish, and we make an effort to change and be thankful in the moment, as soon as something else comes our way that we don’t like we start complaining again.

Circumstantial Gratitude

A great example of this in the Bible is of the prophet Jonah.

We don’t have time this morning to read his entire story, but to bring everyone up to speed.

Jonah was a prophet in the OT who God had called to go to the city of Nineveh and prophecy judgment against it because of how wicked the people of the city were.

In other words, God was going to destroy Nineveh for its sin and he want Jonah to warn them about it.

Well, Jonah being a prophet decided not to obey God and in fact went in the exact opposite direction. The last thing Jonah wanted to do was go and warn Nineveh of their coming judgment.

So as we read, Jonah ends up on a ship sailing far away from Nineveh. God was not okay with Jonah’s disobedience so he causes a great storm to form around the ship.

It gets so bad the everyone on the ship realizes this story isn’t normal or natural, rather it is supernatural, someone has angered the gods.

Jonah recognizes right away that it was Yahweh, the one true God who was angry with him for not doing what God had told him to do.

So in an effort to save all the innocent people on the ship, Jonah has the crew through him overboard, and it works, the storm end and the ship is safe.

But for Jonah, things get more interesting because as he is thrown into the see, the Bible tells us that a giant fish, possibly a whale comes up and swallows him.

Then for 3 days Jonah is inside of this fish where he prays this prayer.

Jonah 2:5-9 NLT 5 “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!

7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

Jonah, in the midst of a terrible circumstance, one that he created no less, recognizes that God had not abandoned him. In fact, he recognizes that God alone is the source of his salvation for that he is grateful.

the Bible then says that God had the fish spit Jonah out on the beach and he lives to see another day.

Once again God orders Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell them of their coming judgment. This time Jonah obeys and does what God asks him.

He tells them that in 40 days they will be destroyed for their sin and wickedness. He does what God tells him to.

But then something happens. This evil pagan city repents. In fact it says that everyone from the greatest to the least declare a fast and they repent and weep over their sin.

Even the evil king of Nineveh repents and declares a national fast and call to repentance.

Jonah 3:10 NLT 10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

That’s awesome, judgment is withheld, people are saved, and sinners turn to God. Jonah should be ecstatic as a prophet that this happened.

Jonah 4:1-3 NLT This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.

3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

Rather than Jonah being pleased, he asks God to kill him. Jonah hated Nineveh. They were enemies of Israel. They had done terrible things to Jonah’s people.

Jonah didn’t want to announce Judgment on Nineveh because he was afraid of what God would do to them.

He didn’t want to announce it because of what he might not do if they responded to the prophecy and changed.

Jonah in his prayer said that salvation comes from the Lord alone. He just didn’t want Nineveh to experience that same salvation.

What happened to the guy who was just praising God and thanking him for salvation while he was in the belly of the fish?

Like most people, Jonah was thankful for his survival but as soon as circumstances changed again for Jonah, his gratitude dried up and was replaced by bitterness.

Jonah 4:5-6 NLT 5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

Look at that, Jonah is grateful again, God eased his discomfort. But this gratitude didn’t last long.

Jonah 4:7-11 NLT 7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

As soon as God removed the comfort, once again Jonah grew bitter and angry, some might even say he threw a tantrum.

We don’t actually see if Jonah has a change of heart. We never find out if he sees things God’s way or not when it come to Nineveh.

Rather we see the book end with God once again correcting Jonah for not being grateful for all that God had done for him, despite his disobedience and bad attitude.

Thanking Through It.

Jonah stands as a reminder of what can happen when we, like him, lose sight of what is most important.

So often in our lives we find ourselves in circumstance that are anything but comfortable, whether it be by our own choices or not.

And we try to make logical sense of what we are experiencing and think our way through it. Sometimes that works.

But what happens when what we are experiencing doesn’t make sense?

What happens when logic doesn’t produce peace, and let’s face it, it rarely does?

What happens when what we are experiencing seems like an unfair punishment for something we didn’t do wrong?

In those moments, you can’t think through it.

Instead, what the Bible teach us is that we need to thank through it.

What do I mean by that? Let’s look at what the apostle Paul says in...

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.

To be a person who regularly experiences gratitude requires mindfulness and habits. Thanking through it—the “it” being whatever you are going through, be it good or bad—is a choice.

And this is such an important point, gratitude is always a choice. Unless a person is intentional about looking at their life and find the things they have to be thankful for, you won’t be able to do what I am talking about this morning.

First Thessalonians 5 offers practical, concrete steps to take as you learn to adopt a disposition of gratitude.

The first step in verse 16 is to “always be joyful” other translations say to “rejoice always”.

Rejoicing is more than simply being happy. The Greek word translated “rejoice” means “calmly happy” or “be well.”

So when Paul writes, “Rejoice always,” the image is one of someone who is cool, calm, and collected, despite any adversity they face.

Rather than folding under the pressure or giving into despair, such a person maintains a sense of joy.

If you and I cannot find a reason to have joy then we will always struggle with selfishness and bitterness because joy is never circumstantial or situational.

Joy is matter of being based on who are in Christ.

Paul’s next practical step for making the choice to be grateful is to “never stop praying” (v. 17).

Prayer and gratitude go hand in hand because prayer connects the pray-er with the Giver of every gift.

Prayer can be a conversation with God, meaning that it is participatory—we make petitions and express adoration—and also silent, with times of listening and just being present with God.

Prayer can’t just be about getting from God, but must be primarily about being with God.

Too often we only pray when we need something, and if we don’t get what we want quick enough, we stop.

Finally, Paul encourages believers to “be thankful in all circumstances” (v. 18).

This may be the biggest challenge of the three, because there are moments when being grateful or giving thanks is not only not our natural response but even counterintuitive.

That’s why thanking through it requires mindfulness and intentionality. If you are rejoicing on a regular basis and praying as much as you can, then gratitude will follow.

Another way to understand these verses is that celebration leads to communication, which leads to contentment.

Application Closing

And there is no greater protection for our minds from depression and anxiety than contentment.

In fact, in a 2020 article in Psychology Today, the author identifies 3 things that gratitude and contentment can do to protect our minds from depression.

Gratitude buffers against feelings of inadequacy; which we know often leads to depression

Gratitude supports peace of mind which leads to a reduction in anxious or ruminating thoughts

Gratitude protects the chronically ill from giving way to depression

There is nothing in this article the Bible doesn’t already teach us because God is the one who created our brains, and he knows the things we need to protect them.

This week we are celebrating Thanksgiving and it is my hope that we all find ways to be always be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful in all circumstances, not just on Thursday, but everyday, why. Because as Paul says...

this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.