It's Good to Give Thanks

Dr. Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh was famous for his pulpit prayers. He always found something to thank God for, even in bad times. One stormy morning a member of his congregation thought to himself. “The preacher will have nothing to thank God for on a wretched morning like this.” But Whyte began his prayer, “We thank Thee, O God that it is not always like this.” Even if you can’t see any good coming out of a difficulty, you can at least thank God that you do not have to face that difficulty all the time. Furthermore, it is never so bad with us but it might be worse.

I believe everyone here knows what it means to give thanks. It is to be mindful of the favors and blessings that we have received, and express appreciation to God for them. I say that giving thanks is an important practice because of what Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:18. Here he is giving a series of important, brief commands to the Thessalonian believers. He says that we as believers should “give thanks.” Now that is excellent advice because a grateful person will be a happier person.

A grateful person will also be a healthier person. Being thankful reduces stress. Stress is one of the main contributors to illness. An attitude of gratitude will also protect you from pessimism. So learning to be a thankful, grateful person is indeed excellent advice. But this is more than just good advice. Giving thanks is important because it is a clear command of the Word of God. Gratitude is not an option; it is an obligation.  (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Now the fact that giving thanks is commanded is emphasized in two ways. First, the words “give thanks” are from an imperative verb in Greek. Paul

commands us to give thanks. Likewise, Psalm 105:1 says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name….” The obligation to gratitude, often neglected by us, is earnestly and frequently encouraged in the New Testament by command, instruction, or by way of example. In fact words of thankfulness are found about 130 times in the Bible.

Secondly, he reinforces the command by saying, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus unto you.” He gives the command the highest possible authority by specifically saying that giving thanks is the will of God for your life. Thus, God’s will regarding thankfulness is not limited to a fortunate few. It is an obligation for all. Paul was writing to the whole church. So I hope you agree that it is so important that we learn to be thankful.

Since being thankful is the will of God, that means that ingratitude is a sin. Too often, instead of giving thanks, we grumble and complain. When we do so, we are living outside of the will of God, and we are committing sin. Not only that, but ingratitude is the mark of an unbeliever. Beginning in Romans 1:19 Paul sets out to prove the sinful nature of man. And one of the first sins that he mentions is found in Romans 1:21, “nor were [they] thankful.”

Our sinful, selfish nature is not naturally grateful. Have you noticed that you have to

teach a child to be grateful? At times you have to almost force children to say “thank you.” If you have no gratitude in your heart to God today, then you probably need to be saved. You need to be born again.

Have you thought about why we are not thankful? Besides our sinful nature, it is partly because we think we deserve all the good that happens to us, and don’t deserve all the bad that happens to us. But that’s not true. We have all sinned, and we deserve death & hell. Anything better than that is cause of thanksgiving to God for His grace, and for His provision.

In closing, I want you all to understand the importance of giving thanks to God. It is God’s will that you give thanks. You are commanded to give thanks. It is good for you to give thanks. I hope you are motivated to make a commitment to become a more thankful person.

Scripture: Acts 20:35; Philippians 1:3-5; James 1:17; Romans 1:21; Luke 7:47; Psalm 100:4

Prayer: Today is the day you made, O God. My heart rejoices in this day and the opportunities it holds for me to experience more of Your loving presence. I open my spirit to You, and I give thanks for Your life that fills every cell of my body and life. I open my eyes to You, and I give thanks for Your light that warms and brightens my day. I open my heart to You, and I give thanks for Your life that fills me with compassion, understanding, and peace. I open my soul to You, and I give thanks for Your presence in my life and in the lives of the people I hold dear. Thank You, God, for all that You are and for the blessings that fill every moment of evey day. Amen

May God bless you always,

Kathyrn