Giving Thanks to God in All Things
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 27, 2022
This sermon examines the difference between humanity's circumstance-based formula for gratitude and the biblical call to give thanks to God in all things. The pastor demonstrates that true thankfulness does not depend on material abundance, but is an attitude of the heart grounded in God's faithfulness and mercy.
The sermon begins by exposing a "wrong formula" that most people use to measure gratitude: the level of thankfulness equals what is received minus what is lost. By this formula, people only thank God after receiving what they want. But in truth the Bible does not teach this — Philippians 4:6-7 calls believers to offer thanksgiving together with prayer, before God answers, and to present genuine needs rather than things desired out of comparison with others.
The pastor clearly distinguishes between needs and wants, while emphasizing that God's blessings are not limited to material things. The story of a little girl with divorced parents who drew a picture of a hand to express her longing to be held by her parents vividly illustrates that people need love and one another's presence more than possessions. The lesson is to reorient one's sense of value — cherishing family, friendship, the church, and redemption more than material wealth.
The second part emphasizes that one should not wait until everything is sufficient before giving thanks, because that day will never come. The history of Thanksgiving in the United States illustrates this: President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first official national Thanksgiving Day in the midst of the bloody Civil War of 1863, calling the nation to humbly acknowledge God rather than pride themselves on their own achievements. The prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:19-24 and David in Psalm 34:1-3 both expressed gratitude in extremely difficult circumstances, demonstrating that true thankfulness is grounded in God's unchanging faithfulness rather than in circumstances.
The final section of the sermon reminds believers that God blesses each Christian so that they may bring that blessing to those around them, not to store it away. Psalm 103:1-4 lists God's blessings — forgiveness of sins, healing of diseases, redemption, lovingkindness and compassion — as the foundation for praise. A study by New York University on children of wealthy families shows that having too many material things without gratitude leads to apathy, laziness, and a lack of happiness. The sermon closes with the reminder: "Whoever forgets the language of gratitude can never speak the language of happiness."