Being Thankful

Intro: As Christians we should be the most positive and grateful people in the world. For one thing, we trust that God is taking care of us, and there is ample evidence in our lives to support this conviction. We also believe that our eternal happiness is secured in heaven, and nothing could be better than that. Add to this the fact that thankfulness is an integral part of our faith and teaching and you would think that we would be overflowing with gratitude. But the sad truth is that we are often ungrateful, sullen, and dissatisfied. And even though our regular worship service is supposed to involve the giving of thanks to God, we often take this part of our worship for granted. For this reason we need to constantly work on this aspect of our lives so that we do not fall short. Consider the following:

I. The Scriptures Teach Us To Be Thankful.

The Bible is filled with passages which stress the importance of showing gratitude toward God. If our relationship with our heavenly Father is to be sound and healthy we must be aware of the good He has done for us and express to Him our joy and thanks. This is true of any relationship between two persons, and it is certainly true with regard to God. Along with the above passage consider also Philippians 4:6, Colossians 3:15-17, and Colossians 4:2. Did you know that Sixty percent of the prayers and eighty percent of the Psalms recorded in the Bible have to do with offering thanks to God? James 1:17 tells us that every good thing that we enjoy is a gift from God. As we look upon these blessings we should join with Paul as he exclaims, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!", 2 Corinthians 9:15. But what if we are not thankful, is that so terrible?

II. God Is Not Pleased With The Ungrateful.

When we are not thankful toward God we violate the order of the universe. We are like spoiled and ungrateful children that spurn their parents and break the natural bond of love that is supposed to exist in the family. In Hosea 13:4-6 we get a sense of how it grieves the Lord when His children forget Him. Ingratitude is simply a form of rejection. In Romans 1:21 Paul describes mankind's failure to acknowledge God or give thanks to Him as a rejection of God. It was in this spirit of ingratitude that mankind turned away from God to worship idols and to engage in every form of immorality. Since ingratitude is at the heart of rebellion, we can not afford to take it lightly. When we fail to give thanks, God is greatly offended and our hearts are alienated from our heavenly father.

III. What Causes Ingratitude?

A. Pride gets in the way. In Deuteronomy 8:12-17 we see how success and prosperity can go to our heads. We begin to think that our own ability has made us successful. We boast about our accomplishments and we forget that everything we have is really a gift from God. But we are fools when we think this way. Many capable people do not succeed, and we could just as easily be one of them. We also know that without our health, talents, and the resources of the world to work with we would have nothing. And all of these things come from God.

B. We get too busy. In Luke 17:11-18 we marvel along with Jesus when only one of the ten lepers returns to express his gratitude. But we are often like the nine who were so caught up in the joy of their good fortune that they simply forgot to say "thank you". We are reminded of the warning in James 4:13-15. We can make all the plans we want, and busily carry them out, but it is only by the grace of God that we live each moment and are able to do the things we do. So we must always be careful to take time to honor God for our blessings.

C. We dwell upon our problems. This is a common cause of ingratitude. Instead of seeing all that is right in our lives and rejoicing over God's blessings, we focus upon those few things which trouble us, no matter how insignificant they may be. When we do this we are behaving like Israel in Numbers 14:1-10. God had delivered them from Egyptian captivity by the power of many miracles, He had led them safely across the wilderness, and now He offered them a land rich with opportunities. But instead of praising the grace and power of God working in their lives, they saw only the difficulties ahead of them, and once again they complained bitterly. We are often guilty of this same evil spirit.

When we dwell upon our problems we are unhappy and bitter. We complain and sulk and worry. We must realize that when we act like this we are saying to God that we don't really appreciate what He has done for us. We are like the child who receives a hundred presents but complains because one of them is not the right color. Instead of always looking for more, we must look at what we have and see that it is enough, and thank God for it. Otherwise we will never be grateful. If you are not happy with what you have now, it is unlikely that you will be happy when you have more. For this reason the scriptures teach us to praise God and thank Him at all times, even when we face adversity.

IV. Gratitude In The Face Of Adversity.

We all face difficulties. It is the Lord's will that we learn to serve Him in the midst of the trials and tribulations that are part of life in this world. Part of that challenge is developing a spirit of thankfulness that remains constant through the hardships we must endure. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul tells us, "In everything give thanks." Notice that he does not say "for everything give thanks." We do not have to be grateful for trouble or for loss, but in our trouble and in our loss we should look for those things for which we can be grateful. There is no trick to showing gratitude when you have everything you want. So it is only when we give thanks in spite of hardship that we most clearly manifest a spirit of gratitude.

There are many passages in the Bible that describe how righteous people worshipped and praised God in the midst of severe difficulties. Consider Habakkuk 3:16-19. The very sorrowful Psalms 22 which prophetically describes the anguish of Christ on the cross ends with praise and thanksgiving offered up to God. I am also reminded of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25. Here they were, beaten and in chains, lying on the hard prison floor, singing praises to God. The next time you face a hardship, take a moment to turn aside and offer up a prayer to God. And do not merely ask for what you need, but give thanks for all that you do not need.

Conclusion: In the coming week take time out of your life to exercise a little gratitude. Count your blessings every day and praise God. Consider the promises of God and the eternal reward waiting for you. Should we not rejoice in our good fortune and live sweet and happy lives? When you encounter sorrow or loss, observe the watch-care of God over you and take solace. No matter what we suffer, it can not compare to the glory that awaits us, Romans 8:18. By giving thanks we solidify our relationship with our heavenly Father and manifest our love and trust in Him. - D.R.-