Part 1 - Growing to be Thankful

Opening

Once again, the year has flown by so fast and we are quickly approaching Thanksgiving day. It seems that the years go by faster and faster.

In 1863 President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday. The purpose of this day was for us to gather in our homes and churches and corporately and give thanks to God.

The first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated in 1621, when the Pilgrims, after a very difficult winter gathered together and offered thanks to God.

I have often wondered why the atheists and secularists have not protested Thanksgiving. They have objected to about everything else we Christians have. I think the most difficult moment they have is when they feel grateful for something and have no one to thank.

Of course, Thanksgiving means different things to different people. For some it will be a time of feasting.

We get up and eat so we can lay back down. We stuff ourselves so much that we become ''couch potatoes.'' Our children become ''tater tots.'' We gobble till we wobble.

For some Thanksgiving means a four day holiday from work. Others can't wait to go shopping . One man said that his wife could go in a mausoleum and come out with a package.

For some Thanksgiving means Football! I heard of one Alabama couple that missed their daughter's wedding because of a football game.

At the core of most people is a desire to be grateful and thankful. Most people have a hunger to be grateful and thankful because they know that’s the right thing. However, actions sometimes contradict our desires. We want to be grateful and we may say we are, but then look at all the things we are just not satisfied with.

We are often not happy with many things in our lives. The comparison game takes over and we find ourselves saying I wish I had… and the envy game takes over. We compare what we have to what friends around us have. We want a better car, better home, better clothes, better job… and then that could get so bad that we fall to the temptation of… a better family, a better husband and the trap continues, taking us down a spiral of a selfish ungrateful life.

Zig Ziglar said “I have too many flaws to be perfect. But I have too many blessings to be ungrateful.”

Gratitude is the key to happiness. When gratitude is practiced regularly and from the heart, it leads to a richer, fuller and more complete life... It is impossible to bring more abundance into your life if you are feeling ungrateful about what you already have. Why? Because the thoughts and feelings you emit as you feel ungrateful are negative emotions and they will attract more of those feelings and events into your life.

You’ll never see a happy ungrateful person.

Again, most people know to be grateful because things could be worse, however our actions speak of dissatisfaction and ungratefulness. Please understand I’m not talking about being ambitious to make your life better. I’m speaking of the inner concern that what you have been given is just not good enough and you are dissatisfied with it.

Dissatisfied is a lack of contentment.

Ungrateful person is a dissatisfied person.

Scripture

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, - ESV

Body

I’m convinced that the source our satisfaction is often mis-placed. We try to find satisfaction or contentment in so many ways. We think that doing the things that satisfy us will make us grateful, however that is a misguided approach to being thankful and grateful.

3 Thanksgiving Responses

1. Expressive

An impression without expression leads to depression. The Bible commands us to give thanks. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we learned to give thanks on our own without being commanded to do it?

We have to teach our children to be thankful. We have little prayers about thankfulness we teach them.

Do you realize that thanksgiving is not mentioned in the Bible until 1 Corinthians. Paul is speaking to the church and tells them in verses 4-10 that he thanks God always concerning them for the grace of God which was given by Christ Jesus. He shares with them they need to be thankful for God’s grace upon their life. And then Paul says that there are contentions among you. He saying, you need to be grateful for what grace others have received and will receive as well. Be grateful and show it. Express your thankfulness for others. Even if they are not as “good” as you, don’t “struggle” like you, etc...

God's people have to learn to express their thankfulness.

This is not only truth but excellent advice. Thankful people are happier, healthier, and holier.

Thanksgiving is more than a command. It is an obligation. It is not an option. It is a sin to be ungrateful.

Paul said in Romans...

Romans 1:21 “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.”

Paul said in

2 Timothy 3:1-2 “1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Paul characterized the last days that one of the characteristics would be ungratefulness. Why are we so inclined to ingratitude? In one word it is pride.

We see ourselves as our source of achievements.

Before theology comes doxology. John Baille said that Thanksgiving is the germ of religious response.

Giving thanks is the birthing of our religious response.

Our expression of giving thanks comes from our response to what God has done for us.

2. Expansive

Our Gratitude is to be expansive.

We are to thank God for everything. This would not be so hard to take if Paul had said ''Be thankful in some things.

He did not tell us to feel grateful. Feelings come and feeling go. The weather, the moon and the temperature can affect feelings, by the function of your liver, by the amount of rest you got the night before.

Thanksgiving has nothing to do with feelings.

You might say that was easy for Paul to say. Paul had been run out of town, beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead. And yet, he said to give thanks in everything.

Paul and Silas sang in prison. They cut his head off but they could not head him off.

We are to thank God for our blessings.

Proverbs 10:22 ''The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.''

We are to thank God for simple things like our heritage, history, health, and such. We are to thank God for the special things like our family, salvation, and future prospects. We are to thank God for the spiritual things like our salvation. All of us have more than we deserve. I have traveled many countries of the world. We are blessed beyond measure in this country.

3. Expected

Our Thanksgiving is to be expected.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

There may be some areas of life where I may not know exactly God's perfect will. But not in Thanksgiving. God expects us to be grateful children.

3 Marks of Gratitude

1. Growing

Gratitude is a test of our character. It tells whether we are fair weather Christians or not.

If we are growing in our thankfulness then we will show it.

2. Giving

Everything we have is a gift from God. Thanksgiving is first thanks, and then giving. You can give without being thankful but you cannot be thankful without giving.

3. Glowing

It is good to give thanks to the Lord.

We live in a world that is bottom side up. However, we serve a God who is in full control. This Thanksgiving be sure to give thanks to God. It is to be expressed, expansive and expected.