Thankfullness, the Core of the Christian Life

Introduction

Thanksgiving might not be celebrated in the United States today, were it not for a patient, persistent woman named Sarah Hale.

It is well-known that the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621 to give thanks for their winter in the New World.

In 1789, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the first Pilgrim celebration. But Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States discontinued it, calling Thanksgiving, “a kingly practice.”

After this, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states, and on whatever date suited their fancy.

Then in 1828, Mrs. Hale, the editor of the magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book and author of the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

She wrote letters and sought appointments with national leaders from the President down. Time after time she was politely rebuffed, sometimes being told it was “impossible” and “impractical,” and sometimes being dismissed with a this-is-none-of-your-business scolding.

Finally in 1863 President Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that North and South “lay aside enmities and strife on (Thanksgiving) Day.” He proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November to be the official “National Thanksgiving Day.” This day was finally ratified by the U. S. Congress in 1941.

Is 2020 a year we can be thankful in?

Pandemic, Racism, Riots, Elections, and More.

Lots of health problems throughout our church wi

The person unwilling to try a new beef Jerky because 2020....:)

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6574 Between Prison and Monastery

6574 Between Prison And Monastery

Dr. David Soper, in God Is Inescapable, suggests that basically the difference between a prison and a monastery is just the difference between griping and gratitude. Undoubtedly this is true. Imprisoned criminals spend every waking moment griping; self-imprisoned saints spend every waking moment offering thanks. Dr. Soper says that when a criminal becomes a saint, a prison may become a monastery; when a saint gives up gratitude, a monastery may become a prison.

God is endlessly worthy of our Thanks and Praise for who He is and all we’ve done.

How does Thankfulness fit in the Christian Life?

Jesus lived and taught us the life that God requires.

Remember when Jesus taught on prayer? He taught us to pray privately and in community.

Matthew 5:6 ESV

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Jesus commanded and welcomed us to call out to our heavenly Father.

Remember one time when Jesus healed 10 very sick men?

Luke 17:12–19 ESV

12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus healed the 10 men out of mercy. Jesus commended the man who came back to thank Him. Are you as quick to thank God for His many blessing as you are to beg Him for healing?

Does our messenger feed reflect more problems that we are asking God to fix or gratitude we are giving Him for the many ways he has blessed us?

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6597 “Rotten Establishment”

As the hippie couple strolled down the street, the fellow said to his traveling companion: “I am going over to pick up my unemployment cheque. Then I’ll drop in at the university to see what’s holding up my cheque for my federal education grant. After that I’ll pick up our food stamps. Meanwhile, you go over to the free clinic and check your tests, pick up my new glasses at the health centre, then go to the Welfare Department and apply for an increase in our eligibility limit. Then I’ll meet you at 5 o’clock at the Federal Building for the mass demonstration against the rotten Establishment.”

It’s easy to miss how much we have to be grateful for.

When God blesses us, we must be quick to give Him thanks.

The Psalms are full of prayers of thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30–36 ESV

30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33 For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; 36 the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

One of the most refreshing way to start your day is with Thanksgiving to God. How many things do you have to be thankful for?

Do you know what hypberbole is?

It’s like when the girls say “It feels like we’re waiting forever for Christmas.”

Or when we say about a day at work, “This day will never end.”

It’s exaggeration to make a point.

You can never Hyper-bolize God’s praise!

God is endlessly worthly of our Thanks and Praise for who He is and all we’ve done.

Take time every day to thank God for all He’s done.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6606 Epigram on Unthankfulness

“Keep both eyes open to your mercies,” advised Robert Louis Stevenson.

“The man who has forgotten to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.”

—David McCarthy

We must continually be thankful for other believers.

Philemon 4 ESV

4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,

The New Testament is full of times when Paul gives thanks for a brother or sister in Christ. Who can you thank God for today? Who can you call to thank for their role in their lives this week?

The Bible is a book full of relationships and truly Christians are called to be highly relational people loving and serving each other.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6606 Epigram on Unthankfulness

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

—Seneca

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6606 Epigram on Unthankfulness

Thanksgiving, to be truly Thanksgiving, is first thanks, then giving.

How much more would we be respected and honored by those around us if we lived with gratitude towards others?

Thanklessness is rejecting God

The truth from the Bible is that Thankfullness is a very Christian concept.

The other side of this, though is that thanklessness is just like you are rejecting God.

Remember in the book of Romans?

Romans 1:21 ESV

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1 is chapter full of the depths of human ugliness and sin. Verse 21 describe those who have turned themselves over to increasing sin. One of the characteristics of people who live in sin is a lack of thankfulness.

The Christian perspective must be to look through the world and give God thanks for all He has done. No matter how bleak the current moment may seem.

Everything Christians do should be done with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When we get up in the morning or got to sleep at night we should be those who live with gratitude to our God and savior.

When we go to work, let us go with gratitude for God’s provision. Whether we are sick or healthy, let us look to God with gratitude for His provision for us in the past and into the future.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6578 Thankful after Robbery

Matthew Henry, the famous scholar, was once accosted by thieves and robbed of his purse. He wrote these words in his diary:

“Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Conclusion

How can you make thankfulness a habit today?

How would a greater amount of thankfulness to God strengthen your faith in the upcoming month?

How would an attitude of gratitude strengthen your witness through this Christmas season?