Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is Biblical

Thanksgiving is not only a Biblical principal, it is a God given command

There are many benefits from being thankful

There are also many consequences of being unthankful

Our Heritage is rooted in Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims of the Mayflower

Paul and Silas in Prison

plenty of reason to complain, or be angry

offered thanksgiving and praise instead

Blessing came after the thanksgiving

Abraham Lincoln’s 1st Proclamation

in the midst of the Civil War

listed things that were going well, industry, crops, peace with other nations

acknowledged Almighty God as the source of good

Jesus set an example of Thanksgiving

Mark 8:6–7 NKJV

6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

Again, thanksgiving came before the miracle of multiplication

Jesus often gave thanks, at 1st communion, at the tomb of Lazarus...

He instructed us to be thankful

The early disciples set an example of Thanksgiving

Ephesians 1:15–16 NKJV

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Colossians 3:15–17 NKJV

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Psalm 100:3–4 NKJV

3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

There are often more ungrateful people than thankful people

We should still remember the thankful ones more.

This leads to our own well being

Luke 17:11–19 NKJV

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

All ten of these had the same disease - the same problem

Jesus sent them all to show themselves to the priest -

in other words, He sent them to acknowledge their miracles

many people don’t want to acknowledge their blessings, becasue they don’t want to acknowledge they were in need

many people are ashamed of their need - or too prideful of themselves

As they were on their way, they noticed they were “cleansed”

their symptoms had gone away -

does not mean the disease was gone - but it was certainly a miracle - and much better.

One of them glorified God

with a loud voice

giving thanks

Jesus told him he was “made whole” - Sozo

Being Unthankful brings God’s wrath

We also have examples of God’s anger at those who are not thankful

the children of Israel in the wilderness

Unthankfullness for the manna lead to poison from the quail -

The things they wanted destroyed them when they were not thankful for what they had

Yet the Lord was delighted to given them plenty - He was leading them to the promised land

Romans 1:21–25 NKJV

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Many people who are thankful little receive little

thanklessness leads to poverty

So many times I have witnessed people receive great blessing yet refuse to acknowledge it, or be thankful

yet it always comes to nothing

in short order, they are worse off then before, and even more miserable

Unthankful people are selfish people

One of the reasons many people are so unthankful is becasue they are so selfish -

people who think only of themselves rarely think much about gratitude

Often afraid that expressing thanks might give someone an upper hand - or create a debt -

afraid they may be expected to repay a good deed if they acknowledge it

many people will not acknowledge God for the same reason - doing so would admit the need to respond to Him as God

Thankful People are Generous People

Many people think that generous people are generous becasue they have so much to give

the truth is that most generous people were generous when they had little to give

often these are people who have lived a life of thankfulness,

this thankfulness compels them to share -

they are usually even thankful for the chance to give

In fact, I have personally witnessed many, many times where the giver of a gift is more thankful at the giving of a gift than the receiver is at the receiving of the gift

So often in these cases, as I have observed over years, these selfish people end up with little while these generous givers end up with oh so much more to give!

Being Thankful overcomes depression and anxiety

Philippians 4:8 NKJV

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.