1 Thessalonians 5:18
SUBJECT: Cultivating the Christian Attitude of Thankfulness
THEME: foster the spiritual attitude of Gratitude
by giving thanks to the Lord and expressing appreciation for those who
service our well-being.
INTRODUCTION:
Thankfulness,
appreciation and gratitude must characterize the thoughts, feelings, and
actions of Christians. Our thanksgiving should be directed towards the Lord
first, and then expressed to those who assist or aid us. We can even be
thankful in adverse situations because we are confident that God is powerful
and wise enough to produce positive spiritual outcomes though there is nothing
about our circumstances to warrants this (Rom 8:28, 29).
In
addition, when we concentrate chiefly on the evil, exasperating, and fearful state
of affairs, we can become imbalance in our thoughts. Giving too much attention
to the adversity and losing sight of the positives. In this state of mind, we
will begin to feel like nothing is going well or right. Our thoughts can become
almost entirely negative and down cast spiraling downward into discouragement
and losing hope. However, when we intentionally reflect on God and His goodness—when
we deliberately fill our thoughts with such content; it will restore the balance.
We will become more conscious of who our hope truly is and that which is going
well also. Such calculated thanks and reflections will counterbalance and
counteract the harmful ruminations and shorten cycles of discouragement. This
is the power of a thankful heart!
As a
review we said an attitude is “a settled way of thinking or feeling
about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's
behavior.” There are three attitudes toward our heavenly Father in this
passage; the attitudes are joy, trust (prayer), and thanks (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Concerning gratitude we said
previously,
I.
Gratitude is Giving God Thanks and Praise. The Requirement is to
Offer Appreciation to God—to “give thanks”
II.
Gratitude should be expressed in all Circumstances. The Situation
is always Appropriate to being Thankful to God—“in every thing”
III.
Gratitude is God’s Plan for His Children. The Reasoning is God
Prescribes Gratitude for all Believers—“for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus”
Now, let’s
explore further the attitude of gratitude with special emphasis on practicing
thankfulness.
FOSTER
AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!
1Thes
5:18, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.
Thesis: We can
foster the spiritual attitude of Gratitude by giving thanks to the Lord!
I.
Gratitude Profoundly
Enriches our Christian Experiences. The Benefits are for Believers Individually
and Corporately—“concerning you”
A. Thankful Believers have a Fuller
view of God’s Person, Character, Blessings and a Greater Awareness of His
Involvement (Attention, Administrations, and Activities)
1. The phrase “concerning you” denotes the persons being
addressed; those who are required to give thanks as well as who benefits from
practicing thankfulness. The guidance is towards
you, for you, with regards to you. That is, with regards to or for individual
believers and entire congregations, great benefit can be obtained through these
practices. God wills for his people to experience the profits of joy, trust,
and thankfulness! He prescribed these practices and attitudes with our
well-being in mind—they are for us and
our good. Our Lord is not against us, but altogether for us (Rom. 8:31).
2. We know we have his attention—the
Lord never forsakes us for even a single moment; we always have his precious
attention to help and aid us in all our challenges (Heb. 4:16; 13:5-6).
3. We understand that we always have
his wise administrations—our Great God never ceases to pursue what is
spiritually healthy and holy for his children (Phil. 2:13; Rom. 8:32).
4. We are confident that our Father acts
on our behalf—that is, he purposefully moves with our best interests at heart
(Psalm 23).
5. The more we offer thanks for God’s
attention, administrations, and activities, the more his glory and blessings
will fill our minds and inform our perspective! The more we explore the
character and nature of the Almighty the more content we will have for
reflection and praise.
B. Thankful Believers are more
Hopeful and Happier People.
1. This is due to the fact we
actually pause and thank the Lord for how He has worked, is working, and will
work in our lives. To appreciate the care and attention God gives us even when
we are not as aware of His care is quite profitable as it sustains awareness
and hope deep within. Such exercise of thankfulness cultivates hope, cheers the
heart, motivates praise, and brings our thoughts into a proper balance.
Reflecting on past but recent blessings and numerating them perhaps on a note
pad or in a journal creates legitimate hopes and anticipations of good outcomes.
After all, the Lord came through before, and He is well able to do it again.
2. So, real hope rooted in reflections
on recent past experiences with the Lord springs up in the soul transforming us
into people marked by this excellent quality. This translates to a happier
person…a more hope filled prospect of the future. Just contrast this with too many
individuals who are so filled with fear, anxiety, and discouragement they don’t
even realize the Lord is actively orchestrating for them. Chances are they are
looking for something or someone else to help them escape, forget, or become
numb to life.
3. Practicing thankfulness to God
and others is key. We could also read Scriptures where God gave His people hope
and positive anticipations to inspire hope in us. Biographies of Christian
giants who had real struggles, but overcame them in Christ can also be a great
source of growing hope in our hearts and personalities.
C. Thankful Believers Genuinely
Appreciate and Express Appreciation to Others; this strengthens and sustains
healthy relationships
1. Ephesians 1:15-16, Wherefore I
also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers[1]
2. Philippians 1:3-4, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer
of mine for you all making request with joy[2]
3. Paul not only appreciates these
believers, but their love toward him moved him to thank God! Wouldn’t you like
to be responsible for provoking others to give thanks to God! (See also 2Thess
1:3)
4. Paul also let these believers
know that they are among the blessings he thanked God for as he prays. They
were informed…made aware of their contributions to the apostle!
D. Thankful Believers are humble and
easier to work with because they value the contributions of others. They get
the fact that they do not know it all, and the input of others is often
critically valuable. So, they seek it out and truly treasure honest
constructive feedback. Thankfulness can help us overcome our self-centeredness
and pride to forge teams with the potential of transforming ministries and
entire industries.
E. Thankful Believers are Magnetic
and Attractive. Now think about. A thankful believer is appreciative, filled
with hope, their outlook is positive, fearless, they exude joy working very
well with others, they inspire and empower the people around them with their potent
personal faith, and God’s glory fills their minds and hearts…. Why wouldn’t such
believers be extremely attractive! Truly…regardless of their body type, the fairness
of their countenance, or other desirable qualities they may or may not possess….
Deeply grateful people draw us to themselves and the closer we get to them the
more we see Christ.
II.
Gratitude can be
Develop through Reflection and Practicing Thankfulness. The Attitude of
Gratitude must be Deliberately Fostered! But how?
A. Cultivating Gratitude can be
Learn from Scriptures Expressing Thanks and Praise to our Great Lord God!
Consider these passages as points of meditation:
1. Romans 11:33-36
2. Colossians 1:15-20
3. Exodus 34:1-17
4. Psalm 139:1-24
5. Revelation 4:6-11; 5:5-14
6. These are but a sample; there are
many other such praise and thanksgiving passages that we can instruct us in the
matter of thanksgiving and praise to our great God. Just by reviewing them briefly
I felt my own spirit lifted and strengthened in the Lord God. Meditating and
reflecting on such passages train us to love, appreciate and celebrate our
awesome God! Memorizing and reciting portions of these praises to God in
prayer, but as from our own hearts to his is an excellent way to lodge these
truths and worthy thoughts into our minds. Thus we would be training ourselves
in what to notice about God, what to value about him, what should be celebrated
about his activities, what is excellent about his character, what is noteworthy
about his behaviors. Such knowledge fuels our relationship and interactions
with the Most High! Thankfulness grows in this context!
B. Expressing Gratitude to God and
Others Stems from Reflection and Looking purposefully for the Good—Evidence of
God’s attention, administrations, and activities.
1. Yes, this is moving beyond
general expressions of thanksgiving like, “Thank you God for our family and
health and for waking us up this morning.” These things are good, but what is
far better is to become mindful of what God is doing in the details of life
throughout each day.
2. While anyone can adopt a ritual
of repetitively “giving thanks;” God is prescribing the development of an
attitude that regards carefully and thoughtfully what good He is achieving in
our personal world and society at large.
3. Practicing this helped me to
realize just how much I overlook, undervalue and take for granted the goodness
of God to me, my family, our ministry, extended family, church family, my
country, and on the list goes. Beloved, it is scandalous how often I have
dismissed what God did for me directly and through others.
4. It takes reflection…literally
pausing to think about the attention, administrations, and activities of God
towards me. Taking the time to look for reasons to be thankful—to literally
count my blessings. Again some things come to mind immediately, but we want to
look closer, harder, and deeper to ensure we do not miss the work of God in us
and for us. Focus particularly on the last 48 hours or so. You will be
surprised to discover how truly good God has been, and it will change the
climate in your soul as you deliberately reflect.
5. The same can be said for our
relationships. If we reflect on people’s contributions into our well-being gratitude
towards God and them will grow in us. Then we must take the initiative to
express our appreciation to those individuals for helping and blessings us. So,
correctly understood noticing these multiple benefits from God and through
others prompts me to thank God and those individuals for how they have
positively touched my life. A card, a phone call, a text message, or an email
can very specifically convey what we appreciate to them.
C. Understanding that any Benefits I
Receive Costs Someone—they Sustained and Expense to meet my Need—this Engenders
Gratitude in my Heart (See Phil. 4:10-19).
1. The Lord Jesus provides an
excellent example of one who incurred a tremendous cost to purchase our
redemption. Because we know our salvation cost the Lord Jesus so greatly, we
are more appreciative of his incredible sacrifice for our sins and on our
behalf. The more we know about and understand the fantastic price He paid
willingly to save us, the more gratitude towards God and the Lord Jesus takes
root and grows in our hearts. Christ suffered greatly for my sins; he paid an
extraordinary price for me. I am so thankful for my precious Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory, honor and praise unto him forever and ever!
2. The same is true concerning the
price others pay to be of benefit or service to us. They almost always incur a
cost and sometimes a sacrifice. The cost may be time, money, opportunities,
health, or station; but certainly a price is paid or exacted. How thankful we
should be to parents, pastors, teachers, and yes, the waiter or waitress who
serve our food at a restaurant. How many parents placed their healthy dreams on
the shelf in order to help their children get through college? Who can number
the pastors who manage 60 to 80 hour weeks praying, studying, teaching,
preaching, counseling, caring, leading, and planning? How many medical
professionals risk their well-being and lives to nurse and heal those suffering
from COVID-19! I am grateful to our service men and women and their families;
they have sacrificed themselves and placed their lives at risk repeatedly to
preserve our freedoms and the future of our country. I am thankful for them!
3. Thankfulness recognizes that
others incurred a cost for me—they sustained an expense to aid or help me. This
not only encourages me, but I understand how love has been shown to me. I must
accept such love and appreciate the person(s) who willingly pay whatever price
to meet my needs or improve the quality of my experiences. Saying, “thank you”
is not enough…becoming a person of deep gratitude is!
D. Realizing I Need the Input,
Wisdom, Help and Service of Others Engenders Gratitude towards God and them.
Such expressions of genuine gratitude will promote humility in our lives.
Thanksgiving is an acknowledgment that “I” stand in need and someone met that
need. It is the realization that “I” am not self-sufficient nor
independent of God and those He uses to meet my needs. Thankfulness is a
sure cure for the disease of pride!
E. Developing a Habit of Reflecting
and Documenting God’s Blessings, Provisions, Answers to Prayer, Protections,
and Guidance in a Journal will Cultivate Gratitude.
1. Beloved, to note or jot down how
God is strengthening, supporting, providing for, encouraging, protecting,
teaching, renewing, correcting, empowering, building, edifying, polishing,
advancing, rebuking, redirecting, enlarging, humbling, stretching and refining
us is a great reason to be thankful! Capture these divine visitations and
administrations in writing! Document these several times during the week.
Answer the following questions…What am I thankful for? Why is this important to
me? Who contributed to this blessing? How should I express thanks to them?
2. Do not overlook what God is up to
in you because you allow yourself to think primarily on the frustrating and
stressful elements of your day or life in general. We must never take all the ‘goodnesses’
of God towards us for granted; thank Him often for what He is doing in you,
through you, and with you. Prayers devoted to praising and thanksgiving can
become a healthy regular practice enabling us to appreciate the Lord for
specific investments he is making in our lives. Again, deliberately focus on
the recent and even items that differ from previous reflections. Yes, this may
be challenging at times; do not shy away because this requires some effort. I
assure you it is worth the energy invested.
3. We truly are wonderfully
privileged to share life with the Most High. God will use this record to
encourage you and assure you of His activities in your life during those times
when the blessings are not as obvious.
CONCLUSION:
Foster the
spiritual attitude of Gratitude by giving thanks to the Lord and expressing appreciation for
those who service our well-being.
Remember
thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude MUST characterize the thoughts,
feelings, and actions of Christians. This means it really is a part our character…thankfulness
is who we are—it’s a settled attitude. Our thanksgiving is intentionally
directed towards the Lord first and foremost, and then we pause our busy lives
to express appreciation to those who assist or aid us. It does not matter how
great or how small their contributions are…the fact that they did is worthy of
thanks. We can even be thankful in adverse situations because we know God is
powerful and wise enough to produce positive spiritual outcomes though there is
nothing about our circumstances to warrants this (Rom 8:28, 29).
As the
recipient of such thoughtfulness it is appropriate to send a ‘thank you card’ or
email or note. It is advisable to make a call to simply express our gratitude. Journal
and record the goodness of God in your experience. Don’t overlook his
involvements in your journey! We must resist the entitlement mentality and tell
others we genuinely appreciate them and what they do to bless and enrich our
lives.
We will
be significantly transformed if we took these basic instructions seriously
making them an integral part of our daily walk. Every Christian should be
distinguished by gratitude. Depression, anxiety, and ingratitude cannot remain
in such hearts! While life slaps us with many serious challenges, we can still choose
to be appreciative. Make the decision to live out gratitude.
In fact,
thankful believers would be contagious as we positively influence others for
Christ. When this precious quality refines our character, we are deeply
attractive people. Who can resist such exuberant joy, confident prayerfulness,
and rich gratitude! Beloved, these traits showcase God’s attention,
administrations, and activities! We honor Him. We become living commercials of
God’s grace commending Him to everyone we touch. I truly believe more people
would be drawn to Christ as Savior through our lifestyles of appreciation. We
will have more chances to present the gospel when the glory of godly character
shines through us and into the lives of the unsaved.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version.
(2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Eph 1:15–16).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version.
(2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 1:3–4).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
