This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Hallelujah. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We have gathered together this day in God’s House to give thanks. We want to give thanks and praise to God for the blessings we have received, as individuals, as families, and as a nation.
Setting aside a day as a nation to give thanks goes way back, before we even were a nation. Records indicate that the Pilgrims set aside a day to give thanks after the fall harvest in 1621. George Washington, our first president, set aside a National Day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1789. Several other presidents, states and territories did the same until Congress in 1941 established that Thanksgiving will be observed on the fourth Thursday in November.
And now here we are. So let me ask you, “What are you thankful for?” As you’re thinking about what your answers might be, let me share with you some answers from children in our elementary school. The students in the First Grade class are thankful for the following: God, their parents, their brother, sister, and for turkey.
My seventh and eighth grade confirmation class was asked to write down five things they were thankful for. The top vote-getters, in no particular order, were the following: family, friends, food, Facebook, and all their electronic devices. And one individual stated, “I’m thankful for myself, my health, my smartness and my good looks.” Go figure.
OK, now you. What are you thankful for? Have you even thought about it? My guess is that if we were asked to say what we’re most thankful for the answers would come back as, “I’m thankful for my family and friends, my health, and my home.” Am I right? And of course, these are all good reasons to give thanks. However, I do think there is more, much more to be thankful for.
In our Scripture Lesson for today, the Apostle Paul provides a little insight as to what that could be. As a matter of fact, you might even say that he has set up for us some:
Thanksgiving Guidelines
1. Be joyful
2. Be prayerful
3. Be thankful
Paul tells us that our first Thanksgiving Guideline is that we are to “Be joyful always” (v.16). Are you? Do you have joy in your life? Would you describe yourself as someone who is happy all the time, most of the time, or just part of the time? I would imagine your answer would depend on the circumstances, wouldn’t it? If you’re having a good week, you’re happy. But if you’re having one of those weeks – the kind where nothing goes right – I don’t know how joyful you’re going to be.
It’s pretty hard to put on a smiling face when the doctor tells you that you have been diagnosed with cancer. It’s pretty difficult to be joyful when your knees and hip hurt when you walk; when you’ve just been told your kidneys aren’t working right; or when you’re struggling with loneliness and depression because your spouse is gone and your children are too busy with their own lives to come and see you. It’s pretty hard to be joyful when your bills are piling up and the money isn’t there to pay them. It’s pretty hard to be joyful when you’re stuck in a job you don’t like, or in a marriage that seems broken and unfixable.
Is what Paul saying then true? Are we really supposed to be joyful always? Does that mean God expects us to be jumping up and down happy all the time? Maybe that’s Ok when everything is going well, but are we really supposed to be joyful when our world is turned upside down?
I’m sure that every person here has had one of those moments: when it seems as if a black cloud is hanging over you. Nothing seems to go right. Life has become a chore, a series of mix-ups and personal disappointment. And when those times come, you might even feel as if God has forgotten all about you. But have you ever considered this? Maybe that black cloud hangs over you because that’s all you’re allowing yourself to see. Maybe you’re so focused on what’s wrong in your life that you miss out on all the joy that is around you. Do you know what I mean?
I want you to think about this. Think about all those times there were dark and troubled moments in your life: the loss of a spouse or a child, the times you were down with an illness, or the times when your life was an absolute mess, whatever it was, let me ask you, did the good Lord ever fail to see you through? And when it got really bad, did he ever fail to pick you up and carry you? Never. How do I know? Because you’re here today aren’t you!
Think back again to some of those dark moments in your life. Think back to one of those times when your world was spinning and everything seemed to be out of control. What happened? Did you find yourself on your knees a little more than usual? Did you find yourself being drawn closer to your Lord? Did you find those comforting Bible passages coming back to you, The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1)? “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)? “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)? How did that work for you? Did God’s word give you courage? Did it give you hope? I pray it did.
You see, even at your darkest moment, you can still be joyful. What? How? Remember what you know. You’ve been led to know the love of Christ; you’ve seen how God the Father continues to provide for your needs; you’ve experienced God’s grace time and time again. That’s why you are able to be filled with joy. You know the Lord is going to see you through. The Apostle Paul was convinced of the same thing. He put it much better than I ever could. He said, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39). Yes, it is true: because of Christ we can be joyful always.
Paul then gives us our second Thanksgiving Guideline. He said, “Pray continually” (v.17).
Just so there is no misunderstanding here, I don’t think Paul is suggesting we quit our jobs and walk away from all our responsibilities so that we can spend time in prayer. I don’t think he’s suggesting we fold our hands and bow our heads 24 hours a day. He does, however, relay God’s will for our lives. God expects us to bombard his throne of grace on a regular basis. He expects us to call upon him in good times and bad. He expects us to confess our sins and to lay our worries and concerns at his feet. And he also expects that we will offer up our praise and thanksgiving. He expects…no he demands that we call upon him in prayer.
So, let me ask you, how’s your prayer life? Are you setting aside time to talk to God in prayer? Are you sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings? Or is God just getting a token amount of your time: a quick prayer before meals and something hurried through before you go to sleep at night? I’ll ask again, how’s your prayer life? Well, if it’s anything like mine, it could definitely use some improvement. That’s what Paul is encouraging us to do – keep praying.
Unfortunately, what often happens is we become complacent in our prayer life. Oh, we remember to pray when we want something, or when our life is a mess, which is good, don’t get me wrong. But what we really need to work on, myself included, is to remember to send up prayers of thanks for blessings received.
Do you remember to thank God for your spouse? Do you remember to thank him for your children? Your grandchildren? Do you thank him when your family is healthy? Do you pray, “Thank you Lord for the roof over my head, the food on my table, and the job I have?” Do you remember to thank the Lord for giving you blessings that most of the world would love to have? Think of some of the things we’ve come to take for granted. We have light at the flip of a switch, hot and cold water at our fingertips, heat in the winter, and air conditioning in the summer. We can walk into any grocery store in this country and we will find the shelves stocked full.
So what Paul is saying is, yes, go to the Lord in time of need. But, don’t forget to call upon him at other times as well. Don’t forget to thank him for the blessings you’ve received.
The third and final Guideline for Thanksgiving as found in our text is, “Be thankful.” Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (v.18).
Those words must have really hit home for the Christians in Thessalonica. These people were being persecuted on account of their faith. People were threatening them with physical harm because they professed their faith in Jesus. And Paul tells them to give thanks?
By God’s grace, we still live in a country where we are allowed to gather for worship without fear of someone causing us harm. So far the worst we get is someone makes fun of what we believe. Rarely is it any more than that. But Paul’s encouragement still manages to hit home.
I mentioned earlier that at times it’s not easy to be joyful. In the same way, it’s not always easy to be thankful. Circumstances may occur which don’t always lead us to give thanks. Ever had one of those days where it seemed everything went from bad to worse? Your car doesn’t’ start, making you late for work. The computers are down so you can’t finish your report. When you get home, the house is a mess. Dinner is going to be late, the kids need help with their homework, and the dealer calls to say it’s going to cost you $800 to fix your car. Ever had a day like that? My guess is “thanks” probably wasn’t one of the first words on your lips.
Yet, Paul tells us to be thankful in all circumstances. What he means is this: don’t lose sight of the big picture. You are a blood-bought soul. Jesus gave his life for you. As a result, you are a child of God and an heir of eternal life. Even if everything is swirling around you, even if your life seems out of control, those circumstances don’t change that. Thankfulness is not dependent on circumstances. It is dependent on what Christ has done. And that’s what makes thanksgiving constant.
Paul’s encouragement is to be thankful in everything. But is that really possible? In this sinful world? The answer is, yes. Paul explained it to the Colossians this way, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Even the simplest task is an act of faith which God looks on as a way of giving thanks.
So, now today we have an opportunity to give thanks. We have an opportunity to be joyful, prayerful and thankful. The question is, will we?
No one can look into your heart. And no one can look into mine. The only way to tell if someone is truly thankful is through their words and their actions.
Our Gospel Lesson for today teaches us a thing or two about that. Jesus healed ten men of leprosy. Without a doubt, all ten were extremely grateful. But did you notice? Only one gave thanks. Only one came back to thank Jesus for what he had done.
We have gathered together today, in God’s House, to give thanks. We want to offer our thanks and praise for the blessings we’re received as individuals, as families, and as a nation. I guess what I’m saying is, don’t let your thanks be nothing more than lip service. Remember to follow the Thanksgiving Guidelines. Be joyful. Be prayerful. Be thankful. Today and every day.
Amen.
And now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.