The Three Ingredients Of Thanksgiving

TITLE: THE THREE INGREDIENTS OF THANKSGIVING

SCRIPTURE: I THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year. Traditionally, it’s a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. The worldly perspective of thanksgiving however, has turned it into a time of gathering with the Family - Eating A Big Meal - Watching Football - Hunting - Shopping. Maybe your family has their own unique tradition. However you decide to celebrate Thanksgiving, the fact remains that it’s a time for us to count our blessings. Scripture is very clear to us that every blessing in our life is a result of God’s provision.

JAMES 1:17 says it like this - “EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, AND COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHADOW OF TURNING.”

• If you’re in good health and have a roof over your head, God has blessed you

• If you get enough to eat each day, are part of a church family, have faithful friends, a source of income, then our generous God has blessed you

• Because of God’s great love he provides for us, just as He has provided for His people for thousands of years

One of the main problems with today’s thanksgiving other than the worldly traditions we’ve placed on it, is that it’s limited to an annual holiday. True thanksgiving, however, is identified and verified by a life of daily thanksgiving. Let’s take a look at God’s Word to find out how to lead a life of thanksgiving.

The Bible teaches us that true Thanksgiving is identified or verified by a life of daily THANKS-LIVING. Today even as another Thanksgiving day is around the corner, let us consider how to lead a lifestyle of thanksgiving, not just one day, but throughout the year. The Bible mentions three biblical ingredients that are needed for leading such a lifestyle.

In our text, the word “Rejoice” appears about 14 times. In this verse, Paul commands the church of Thessalonica to rejoice while it was in the middle of a severe wave of persecution. Paul’s words may sound blunt but actually, it’s not. Now before I move forward, there are some things we need to distinguish between.

In order for us to be able to rejoice always, we have to understand the difference between Joy and Happiness.

• Happiness is just a feeling

• It comes from the word “Happenstance” from which we get the word “Circumstance”

• In other words, our happiness depends on our circumstances

The problem with happiness is that it’s temporary. The moment you think you have a hold on happiness, it slips away and then you find yourself needing another fix. I believe all of our children have been to Disneyworld – Michelle took them all at different times when the children were very young. I did not go, it’s not my thing. I saw the pictures and heard they had a wonderful time. I heard somebody say - it’s next to impossible to go to Disneyworld and not be happy. As a matter of fact, they call it the happiest place on earth for a reason. But you can’t stay there forever so when you leave often times you find your happiness leaving too.

• As we get back to the real world

• As we get back to work

• As we get back to the cares of this life

People are naturally happy depending on their circumstances. joy, on the other hand, is not natural.

• Its source is Supernatural

• The only way you’re going to have joy is if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, because Jesus is the author of Joy

• In Christ we can decide to be joyful despite our problems

• A Christian’s joy is not dependent on circumstances, it comes from what Christ has done

• Its permanent - it doesn’t fade away

The Apostle Paul is speaking about Joy in this text, not happiness.

• Happiness is circumstantial and an emotion that we can’t control

• We will be spontaneously happy when our circumstances are good but will be spontaneously miserable when the circumstances are not

Rejoicing, on the other hand, isn’t a spontaneous emotion but an intentional act of faith. HABAKKUK 3:17 teaches us that rejoicing is a decision we make. It’s the FIRST INGREDIENT FOR A LIFE OF THANKS-LIVING. Let me see if I can help you with this. As Christians we are always in the Lord and the Lord is always in the life of a Christian, and that is always a reason for joy. Even if we cannot rejoice in the circumstances, if we find ourself passing through pain - sorrow - grief, we still can rejoice in Christ. We rejoice in the Lord, and since He never leaves us or forsakes us, we can rejoice always.