The Meaning of “In Every Thing Give Thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

The Meaning of “In Every Thing Give Thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

 

“18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

 

 

The only living creatures on this Earth that know and can give thanks for the grace given are humans. But, this does not mean that all humans know and give thanks. Every human has the ability to give thanks, but very few actually express it and possess truly thankful hearts.

 

A) Giving Thanks is a Command

 

1. The phrase “give thanks” in today’s scripture is in the form of a command.

 

Today’s scripture is from the letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. To give thanks is not an option or a choice; it is something we must do. As a command from God, disobeying and not being thankful will bring dire consequences.

 

Psalm 50:22-23 says, “22 Consider this, you who forget God,
 or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
 and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”

If you do not give thanks, you will be torn to pieces, and no one will rescue you.

 

2. Why did God command this?

 

It is because we constantly forget the grace and blessings He has poured upon us. Our forgetfulness leads us to forget to give thanks.

 

A conversation ensued between a forgetful son and his mother:

SON: Mom! I lost my umbrella today.

 

MOTHER: Oh my dear boy! I’m so proud! The last time you lost your umbrella you didn’t even know you had lost it. This time you knew! You must be getting smarter. How did you know you lost your umbrella this time?

 

SON: Well, it stopped raining so I reached up to close my umbrella and that’s when I realized I didn’t have one!

 

There is a bird called a “secretary bird” that lives in the grassy plains of Africa. The secretary bird is in the eagle family and it typically spends its time flying high in the sky. But at the sight of a snake or mole, it dives toward the earth like an arrow and snatches up its prey.

 

The secretary bird normally flies with speed and agility. However, if it is attacked while it is feeding on its prey on the earth, it runs with all its might rather than flying.

 

It is said that the well-flying bird runs instead of using its wings because it forgets it can fly in the fear and confusion.

 

Despite the bird’s fairly long legs, there’s no way it can run better than it can fly. In the end, the bird ends up caught and eaten by its predator.

 

We too have been given wings of faith by God, and yet we often forget than we can fly. Those who live without faith are no better than the secretary bird.

There are those who appear to have great faith, but when the time comes to truly use that faith they falter. God scolds them saying, “Where is your faith?”

They believe in God wholeheartedly when times to good, but they forget Him when they really need Him during hardship.

 

We also pray earnestly when we need Him, and when we don’t we forget about Him.

 

God knows how forgetful we are, thus He not just told us to be thankful but commanded it from us.

But despite the command, why do so many of us fail to be thankful?

 

B) Why We Are Not Thankful

 

1. Because many things are normal and common

 

Today’s scripture commands us to be thankful in “every thing”. “Every thing” includes the seemingly normal and mundane.

 

A young couple moved to an area called Banff, a popular vacation spot in the Canadian Rockies.

This place has magnificently breathtaking scenery that changes according to the seasons.

The couple saw their beautiful surroundings and gave thanks to God.

But a year passed, and they were no longer thankful. They had actually grown sick of their environment!

It was like when the Israelites grew tired of the eating manna everyday.

 

We are no different. We constantly pray and seek special reasons to be thankful. We have literally millions of things to be thankful for, yet we don’t give them a second thought because these things seem so normal.

 

We need to pray, “Lord, we forget how to be thankful and enjoy complaining. Father, you know our weakness. Let only thankfulness overflow from our lips and hearts.”

 

It is the “everyday things” that are important.

The sun, the air, water, the trees… All of these things are common but without them we could not live. They are common, but priceless.

 

It is like what deacon Baehyun Cha would often tell me: The air is different. It’s not something you could ever buy. No matter how clean and fresh the air in Korea may be, it can’t compare to the US.

Just being able to breathe the air here is a great gain in itself.

 

2. Because we make the foolish mistake of taking God’s grace for granted.

 

“In every thing give thanks” means that we must be thankful for even the common things.

 

One day, a mother said to her son, “Honey, why don’t we give your soccer ball to that boy whose father is not around?”

To that the son replied, “Can we keep the soccer ball and just give him Dad instead?”

 

Children tend to take their parents and all they provide for granted. If even animals sacrifice themselves for their offspring, what’s the big deal with our parents giving a few things up for us? We think this and believe their grace and what they give us is a given and even take advantage of it. It is these sons and daughters that end up paining their own parents.

 

Students also take their teachers for granted. It’s not like they’re teaching us for free; if they’re getting paid to do it, why should we be so thankful? It’s thoughts like these that make us fatally foolish.

 

We cannot have thoughts like these.

We must build the habit of finding thankfulness among the things we take for granted

 

3. Because of our arrogance.

 

One of the biggest reasons we forget to be thankful is because of our own arrogance.

 

A good businessman believes his success is due to his own intelligence. Some parents see their healthy children and believe it is due to their care and providence. How can people like this find the heart to be grateful?

 

There is no thankfulness in those who believe their good fortune is a result of their own doing.

They say it is all God’s grace, but deep down they think it is their own work that brought such fortunes.

 

 This arrogance makes us thieves, stealing from God His grace and taking credit for His work. Arrogance takes away the thankful hearts we should have. Arrogant people do not know how to be thankful.

True thankfulness can only be present when we are humble before God.

 

4. Because of our greed.

 

Meng-goo and Mr. Oh (Korea’s “Dumb and Dumber”) met on a road. But Meng-goo looked sad and lonely. He looked as if he were on the verge of tears.

 

MR. OH: Meng-goo! Why the sad face?

MENG-GOO: Well, a relative died about 3 weeks ago and he left me $100,000.

MR. OH: That’s not bad news! That’s very lucky for you!

MENG-GOO: I’m not done yet. Two weeks ago, a cousin I didn’t even know very well died and left me $450,000.

MR. OH: Wow! I wish I were that lucky…

MENG-GOO: I’m still not done. Last week, my grandfather passed away and he also left me about $100,000.

MR. OH: Well, if you’ve been so lucky and fortunate, why the sad face today?

MENG-GOO: Because! This week, no one died and left me money!

 

Greed overpowers thankfulness. Those who have wildly high expectations always live disappointed and complaining because nothing lives up to their expectations. Greed makes us forget what we already have and only complain about what we don’t have.

 

5. Because of the wrong views and beliefs of blessings.

 

The NIV Bible says to be thankful “in all circumstances.” It means that we must be thankful for the good and the bad, even when giving thanks seems impossible.

 

Daniel 6:10 says, “10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Daniel gave thanks even though he knew he would be persecuted.

 

Are you facing hardships? Trials? Obstacles? Though it may be hard, find something to be thankful for. If you try, you will surely find it.

 

The prophet Habakkuk gave thanks to the Lord even when there were no cows in the stable or figs on the tree because his thankfulness was not dependent on cows or figs.

His thankfulness was not dependent on his environment or his possessions.

 

Habakkuk 3: 18-19 says, “18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

This verse describes Habakkuk’s source of thankfulness: He “rejoices in the Lord” and “in the god of [his] salvation.”

Here, “salvation” is referring to the hope of entering Heaven. A sinner condemned to eternity in Hell received the grace of God and was granted the blessing of entering Heaven.

Habakkuk’s source of thankfulness was the Lord Himself and salvation.

Habakkuk was not thankful for the worldly things and God satisfying his worldly greed. Rather he was thankful for the Lord and His salvation, hence he was able to be thankful even when his worldly desires were not fulfilled.

 

 

What is your source of thankfulness? What are your requirements for giving thanks?

Is it in the Lord and Heaven or is it in worldly possessions and success?

Are you thankful for figs and olives and cows and sheep? Or are you thankful for salvation?

 

Nothing can make our lives and the world more beautiful than to be thankful no matter what. Let us all becomes children of God whose thankful hearts overflow for the Father and Jesus Christ who saved us. Hallelujah!