Thinking About Thanking



Last Thursday was Thanksgiving.

It is a time to come together with family, argue about politics, eat too much food, take a nap, watch average football games, and then go shopping.

It is also a time for us to pause and be thankful. I admit this is hard for me. We live in a busy world, and it is hard to pause and take time to reflect on all that we have and all we can be thankful for.

Recently, I saw this published study (- ARTICLE -)  and found it very interesting. The particular data that caught my eye was looking at people who label themselves as "Non-Christians," and what they said are the essential factors that make someone a 'moral person.'

The initial statement on the left precedes the qualifier of the phrase is "essential" to what being a moral person means to them. 

 What do "non-Christians" think is essential to be a moral person?

Being grateful for what you have, among all non-Christians, came in at 56%, or second place overall on what is essential to what being a moral person means.

Pew research study points: 56% of Non-Christians believeGratefulness is essential to being a moral person.

Gratitude is essential to being a moral person, according to non-Christians. I found this data particularly interesting because it represents a thought pattern that I experienced in my time as an atheistic thinker in my 20s, before I became a *Christian.

*I prefer the term, "Christ-follower" to Christian, primarily because it is more plausible for someone to simply say they are a Christian without actually giving authority to Jesus in their day to day lives - hence the term nominal Christian.

In my 20s, when I would have labeled myself as a "non-Christian" I would have said gratitude was highly important for me. I found thankfulness to be a strengthening tool, helping me to face hardship in the world, and also developing in me a sense of awe and joy at what I had been given in life. In particular, I found myself grateful for family and friends, and enjoyed moments of deep gratitude for my life.

However, when I lookback now and think about my life as a non-believer, I have to ask myself, "Who was I grateful to?"

When I was pausing and finding great satisfaction and gratitude in my family, friends, and quality of life - who gave those things to me?

Now, as a believer, having come to Christ, I know the answer: God did! God is the source! As Creator and sovereign owner of all things, God is the source of all goodness, all light! I love the way John describes it:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1–4 ESV)

 In Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men. 

 The Creator is the source of all goodness because God is good. In Jesus is life and light. This is what fuels our thankfulness. This is God's will for us, that we be thankful.

The Apostle Paul writes about how we should relate to God. He says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 ESV)."

Give thanks in all circumstances? All? It's seriously God's will that I give thanks in all circumstances? What about cancer? Hardship? Depression? Job loss?

This is where the Bible speaks hope into a world that sometimes seems entirely hopeless.

The Christian faith can uniquely speak hope and thankfulness into the world, because we worship the Creator God of all things, and His Son, Jesus Christ who rose from the dead to make all things new. 

 Three Reasons Why We Can Give Thanks In All Circumstances

1. I See (Formerly) Dead People

Dead People, Made Alive By Grace

Ephesians 2:1–10

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

God takes dead people and makes them alive with Jesus Christ. For those of us who walk by faith in Christ, we should never forget where we came from. We were dead in our sins, and there was nothing we could do to save ourselves. But God, God is rich in mercy, God sent Jesus, Jesus went to the cross and died in our place. Then, Jesus rose from the dead.

God has given a gift of grace in Jesus Christ. We receive that gift by faith. 

 What do you do when you get a gift? You give thanks, baby! 

We have received the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ and the life and riches that he has received, (even when we were dead!) and so we can be thankful in all circumstances. God makes dead people alive.

2. God Is For Us

All Things Work Together For Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

God is Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is omnipotent, he can do anything.
God has purposed to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. So, in all circumstances, God is working all things for good if you are called according to His purpose.

What is God's purpose?

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29 ESV)

 God's purpose is to save people and make them like Jesus. God works all things for good for those who are being conformed to the image of Jesus. Are you becoming like Christ? Then every instance of your life is bringing you toward the point of being like Jesus.

We can give thanks in all circumstances because God works in all circumstances for our good and to make us like Jesus Christ. God is for us. It is God's purpose, and He always accomplishes all His purpose. 

3. This World Isn't All There Is - We Have Resurrection, Restoration Hope!

Eyes On The Prize!

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

 “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”


The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50–57 ESV)

We are going to be raised in imperishable glory and immortality. God has given the victory in Christ!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1–7 ESV)

 We are going to be raised to all things being made new. The world in all its beauty and humanity in all its glory perfectly living in the presence of God. Only goodness, only life! What joy!

We can give thanks in all circumstances because this world isn't all there is. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ you are already living out your eternal life and waiting upon the restoration of all things. God will be your God, forever and ever.

The will of God is that we live in thankfulness. God is worthy of gratitude as the Giver of all things. God has made us alive in Christ. God works in all things for our good. God is going to make all things new. We can be thankful in all circumstances because this world isn't all there is.

So, does giving thanks make someone a moral person? 

Sure, it does! The non-Christians have it right!

It's the will of God that we be thankful in all things, because He has given us transcendent hope in the one who rose from the dead, Jesus Christ. God has made you for this day, to know Him through Jesus Christ. We have hope in this life and the next because of what Christ has done, and the more we thank him and praise him, the more hopeful we'll be!

Have you trusted Christ? 

Are you rejoicing in God?

Psalm 70:4 - May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

God is great! To God all praise and glory!

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