In Everything, Give Thanks to God
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 1, 2020
This sermon challenges the common but flawed formula for gratitude — only thanking God after receiving what we want — and calls believers to give thanks in all circumstances, including hardship. Through multiple illustrations and Scripture passages, it reminds us that true blessing goes beyond material things, and that God blesses us so we may serve and share with others.
The sermon opens by analyzing a 'wrong formula' that most people use to measure gratitude: thankfulness equals what is received minus what is lost. By this formula, people only thank God after receiving what they want. However, Philippians 4:6-7 teaches that thanksgiving must accompany prayer even before God answers, and that we are called to present our genuine needs rather than our desires.
The sermon also points out that God's blessings are not limited to material possessions. The story of a wealthy father who takes his son to visit a poor family vividly illustrates that the truly valuable things — friendship, nature, freedom, community — are often overlooked when people focus only on wealth. The moving story of a little girl who drew a hand in class reminds us that many people who are materially wealthy are poor in love and closeness.
The pastor emphasizes that we should not wait until everything is perfect to give thanks, because that perfection will never come. The history of American Thanksgiving is cited as an example: President Abraham Lincoln declared the first national Thanksgiving Day in the midst of the bloody Civil War of 1863, calling the entire nation to humble themselves before God and express gratitude. The prophet Jeremiah did the same in Lamentations 3:19-24, and David in Psalm 34:1-3 offered praise even while being pursued by King Saul.
The final section reminds us that God blesses us not so we can store up blessings, but so we can bring blessing to those around us. Psalm 103:1-4 lists God's blessings: forgiveness of sins, healing of diseases, redemption of life. A New York University study on children of wealthy families found that having too much without learning to share often leads to apathy, laziness, and unhappiness. The sermon closes with the reminder: whoever forgets the language of gratitude can never speak the language of happiness.