Why should I be Thankful?

Intro

Why do we do the things we do? This is the title of a good psychology book that helps readers know why they react the way they do in certain situations. Where do our behaviors spawn? How much are we really in control of them?

As we enter the “thankful season,” let’s think about that some together.

We tend to think about our thankfulness more during November than any other time of year. The month of November has actually been coined “National Gratitude Month” with the goal of helping us change our perspective to a more thankful attitude.

However, when we look to Scripture, we will see over and over again the concept of thankfulness not as an attitude leading up to a holiday, but as a lifestyle, a perspective, a choice.

When looking through Scripture, you will also find many instances where the people of God were simply … not thankful. They groaned, they complained, they really struggled with maintaining the perspective of a thankful life.

For the next three weeks I want to look with you at thankfulness, the concepts of a thankful life, and simply remind you of the easy to follow and well known Scriptures that lead to a thankful existence.

Turn first with me to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

1 Thessalonians 5:16–22b (KJV 1900)

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

It is Obedient

As we worked through 1 John these last 11 weeks, we saw the value of obeying the commandments of God. Not out of obligation, for that would mean those commands are burdensome, but rather our of a pure love for our God and His goodness. This is one of the main evidences of God in our lives if you’ll remember!

Obedience to God, or lack thereof, can be seen all through the Bible and nearly without fail, those who grumble at the commands of God were either not true followers or simply not where they needed to be. Those who found being thankful to be a chore more times than a delight.

But, obedience to God in all things includes thankfulness.

Reading this passage we could so easily read “be thankful for all things.” You may not have even caught the difference between what I just said and the verse in question.

Paul, when writing to the church at Thessalonica, did not ignorantly tell them to be thankful for everything that they encounter in life. For, if that were the case, at the very boiled down and basic level of understanding, that would mean we would be thankful for sin, and we are not.

Rather, Paul boldly tells them the IN everything that they encounter, be thankful.

Be thankful in circumstances that you don’t understand, be thankful in circumstances you don’t like, be thankful in times when you are confused, be thankful in times of pain. Be thankful in ALL times and seasons of life? Why, other than because it is a commandment?

As one theologian puts it, For what is fitter or more suitable for pacifying us, than when we learn that God embraces us in Christ so tenderly, that he turns to our advantage and welfare everything that befalls us? (Calvin, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 297)” Mark Howell et al., Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 162.

Being thankful or having an attitude of thankfulness in ALL situations seems impossible until we remember that even in the worst situations that we will face in life, for His children, God is working them for our good, for our advantage.

Think of Noah with me for a moment. Noah lived a life pleasing unto God but was ridiculed for it day in and day out. He worked on that ark for decade after decade while preaching to the inhabitants of a dry earth “water will fall from the sky!” It had never rained, people didn’t believe.

However, Noah persisted and what happened? It rained, the earth opened up and water sprung forth. The earth flooded. And, once Noah was able to get off of the Ark he made an altar and thanked God.

That sounds like it makes perfect sense doesn’t it? Noah was thankful because His family was saved! But it goes deeper… Although Noah was saved along with his immediate family, he faced so much ridicule, he lost friends, he lost loved ones, he was not immune to the harsh reality of a sinful world while building and boarding the Ark.

Yet, he was thankful. Not necessarily for the hardships, but in and through the hardships.

Be thankful, it is a sign of maturity and obedience.

He is Good!

1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; For his mercy endureth for ever.”

God. Is. Good.

Pack up and go home! Folks that is enough of a reason for us to be thankful in every season, every hardship, every battle, and every storm. Because, even in the midst of the worst circumstances you will face, God is still good!

He has no desire outside of your benefit and His goodness toward you.

His goodness is shown to us as He grows us through battles. His goodness is shown to us in His miracles. His goodness is shown to us in each breath He gives us. His goodness is shown to you the most in the person of Jesus Christ!

Folks, we must have faith that that is true. We must believe that God is really working things for our good. We beat ourselves us so much that we forget that God does have favor on us, that He does love us, that He is good to us without us having to beg for it.

God is good to you this morning. He wants you to see that. He wants you to know that, no matter who on earth has hurt you or been bad to you, He is truly, really working things out for your good and benefit. Even if those circumstances don’t work out the way you think they should.

God is so good to you, that He died for you so that you could be forgiven!

1 Corinthians 1:4–5 “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;”

Paul thanked God for the grace of God given to the Corinthians by Jesus Christ. Are you thankful to God for His steady goodness shown to you through the grace of Jesus Christ?

Why is the grace of Jesus something to be thankful for?

Because without it we are bound for eternal Hell. Without it we have no hope. Without the wonderful grace of Jesus we are hopeless causes. Folks, understand with me this morning: when you release your pride and humble yourself, you too can see that you need Jesus. You too will see how much of a sinner you truly are. You too will see how good the grace of Jesus is at all times.

Not only does the grace of Jesus work to save us, but it works to keep us!

This doesn’t mean once-saved-always-saved but it does mean that Jesus is pleading our cause to the Father for forgiveness. It does mean that the grace of God is big enough to give us freedom. It means we can live a peaceful life without legalism and fear.

God is good. God has always been good. And if you stop and realize it in humility, you will see how God is good to you as well.

Being thankful takes intentionality, you will rarely if ever be thankful on accident. So, in the midst of your heartaches, pain, death, loss, anxiety, panic, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-image issues, or whatever it is that you are going through, make a choice to be thankful because, child of God, He is going to use this for your benefit and your good.

Lack of Thankfulness Leaves us Stranded

When we are thankful the way we are called to be, knowing that God is good, then we can move forward with our lives knowing that God has a plan and trusting that even when we don’t see it. Anything else, any lack of thankfulness, will leave you stranded!

Think with me about the Israelites. In Exodus and Numbers, God delivered them time and time again. First from slavery, then hunger and thirst, then quarrels and fights, even major military conquests — yet still they grumbled and had a lack of thankfulness.

Exodus 16:8–9 “And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings.”

This all came to fruition when they came upon the Promised Land and rather than being thankful, they doubted and feared… and then became stranded to the wilderness for 40 years.

When we focus on the bad, the wrong, the pain, and misery, and confusion in our lives rather than trusting God with it, we will be stranded in our wilderness. A lack of trust is, in essence, a lack of thankfulness. For if we trusted God, for He is good, then we could be thankful rather than grumble and complain.

When you grumble and complain, you will be stranded in your wilderness. Whether that wilderness is doubt, circumstance, pain, worry, confusion, or whatever it may be — a lack of trust leads to a lack of thankfulness — and a lack of thankfulness will leave you deserted in your own mind and own world rather than allowing you to move forward in God’s will for your life.

When we are thankful to God, in all circumstances for He is good, we will then be able to more clearly see God’s word in our lives and move forward. We won’t be stuck. We won’t remain still. We will boldly move forward in God’s will with full confidence that the Holy Spirit is working.

Even though the Israelites grumbled, made mistakes, and messed up big time, God was still working it for their good; however, many were unable to see that promise fulfilled because they were stranded in their lack of thankfulness.

Don’t be stranded, move forward. Move in God’s will. Trust and be thankful.

SONG

Conclusion

Thankfulness. We talk about it annually, we devote a day, a month, a meal to it. And then we forget it.

Thankfulness cannot be an annual tradition, it must be a way of life. We must intentionally be thankful. We must be like Noah and be thankful even in loss, in pain, and in ridicule.

Thankfulness is obedience in our attitude. It leads to trust in God. It leads to us searching and finding the will of God over and over. It moves us forward in that will.

a lack of thankfulness will leave us stranded. It will heighten our doubts and dears. It will send us spiraling into our own minds rather than allowing us the freedom to move forward as God would will for us.

We will never be able to be thankful in all situations until we realize that even in the worst circumstances of our lives, God is working, He is growing us, He is working for our good! We must believe that!

Be thankful this morning, for God is good. So good, in fact, that He died for you.

*salvation plea*

Maybe you aren’t thankful like you ought to be. Maybe you are stranded because of a lack of thankfulness. Come pray. Realize the goodness of God and be thankful.

*sing chorus of goodness of God*