What should be the focus of Christians on Thanksgiving?

It may be helpful, in the first instance, to say something upon the general subject of thanksgiving to God before dealing with the specific points raised in the query. We are bound to offer our thanks to God continually because we are entirely dependent upon the bounty of Him who ‘giveth to all life, and breath, and all things’ (Acts 17:25). The world generally ignores this elementary truth relating to human existence, but the believer in Christ is taught of God to own it fully. Moreover, because even he has a tendency to forget his indebtedness to divine mercy for ‘all things’, he is definitely enjoined to give ‘thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Eph. 5:20). Thanksgiving is not optional on our part, for the apostle declares that it is ‘the will of God in Christ Jesus’ that we should ‘in every thing give thanks’ (1 Thess. 5:18).

Thanksgiving is indeed most fitting and becoming! Saved and sanctified according to the good pleasure of God, to share in the scenes of life eternal—knowing that all things work together for the good of such—for grace has called them according to God’s purpose—what could be more suitable than giving thanks “IN” everything, though “FOR” everything it may not always be possible? Yes, such is the reasonable and striking exhortation given to those who are of the “one body in Christ,”—literally reading—“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus towards you” (1 Thess. 5:18). Colossians 3:15 also says, “Let the peace of Christ preside in your hearts, to which also ye have been called in one body, and be ye thankful” (N.Tr.).

But more. Though in tribulation, there could yet be a positive rejoicing, not intermittently but evermore, consistently, which is really only normal when the Lord Jesus Himself is the Object of our joy. And prayer too is to be as constant. At all times the heart may be lifted up to God, so real a habit that every occasion of need, of difficulty, or of distress will find us voluntarily and immediately crying to Him from the heart. This too is to he attended with thanksgiving "in everything." We cannot of course give thanks for what is sinful, but in the midst of whatever evil or good this thankful spirit is to be ours. The importance of this is pressed upon us in the fact of its being "the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." If we are honest in saying we desire the will of God, then here it is, and no excuse can be accepted for lack of giving of thanks.

‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord’ (Ps. 92:1). One of the features of professing Christians in our day is ungratefulness (2 Tim. 3:2). By contrast, a believer should be marked by the giving of thanks (Eph. 5:4; Col. 2:7). While natural effort and legality have no place in a believer’s walk, there is much to be said for habitual behaviour which is pleasing to the Lord and follows a scriptural pattern, such as beginning each day with thanksgiving and ending it with the same (see e.g. the verses from 1 Chronicles 23 and Psalm 92 cited above), giving thanks for every meal (Rom. 14:6), praising God immediately when He has blessed us (e.g. Dan. 2:23), and making thanksgiving our first reaction to every difficulty as well (e.g. Dan. 6:10), especially where it gives us an opportunity to suffer for the Lord’s name (e.g. Acts 5:41). Even if we feel that our needs are so great that we must spend a lot of time in prayer and supplication, our requests should be accompanied by thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). The examples of godly men in the Scriptures suggest that the thanksgiving should come first (see e.g. the order of Paul’s prayer for the believers in Colosse in Colossians 1). This is right morally, and may also help us in our prayers as it will remind us of the grace and power of God and increase our trust in Him. The same examples also indicate that the time spent in thanksgiving should be no less than that occupied in making our requests known to God (see again Colossians 1).

He knew what he was talking about who said, "The best sauce to any meal is a thankful heart." Yes, to receive our food from God with thanksgiving gives a relish to the plainest meal that no sumptuous banquet possesses. Yet how often it is forgotten by Christians. What a rare thing it is, for instance, to see a head bowed over a meal in thanksgiving to God in a public restaurant. So seldom is it seen that a friend of mine told me that when he did it recently the waiter inquired anxiously, "Anything wrong with the soup, sir?" But the Christian has not only to give thanks for the countless benefits that he and his receive, but also for all men, for so we are told in 1 Timothy 2. I called upon a Christian baker. He supplied a large part of the small town in which he lived with bread, and there were piles of loaves all round awaiting distribution. I saw the meaning then of giving thanks on behalf of all men. "Why," I said to him, "you can exercise your priestly privilege here in your bakehouse. You know that many who will receive these loaves will never think of lifting their voices in thanksgiving to God for them, but you can do it on their behalf before ever they leave your premises. You can thank God for His kindness and care and His provision for those who never even acknowledge Him or give thanks to Him for His good gifts." And so can every Christian. And this thanksgiving for others that can be exercised in a thousand ways leads to blessed communion with God, and our hearts are made very sensible of His exceeding goodness and mercy.

When the saints of God gather in assembly this should be the chief thing with them. In the midst of a world of treachery and apostasy the saints should gather together giving thanks to the Father. We may be sure of this, every blessing that has reached us has come from His blessed heart; and whatever has been revealed of love and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ, He has revealed as being the Father's sent One, and so it is right that thanksgiving should ascend to the Father: that we should tread in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we should take character from Him, that we should be a thanksgiving people, and we surely shall be if we realise the favour in which we stand in Christ. I will press this for a moment, if you will allow me. Do we give thanks sufficiently? God's ear hears many discordant sounds from this world. He hears the bitterness of men cursing His holy Name; He hears their blasphemies; He hears some of His children murmuring and repining. Oh strange sounds for the ears of God! His children murmuring and repining instead of giving thanks and singing songs of praise!

Let us consider the Lord Jesus in these circumstances: surrounded by hatred and treachery He lifted His heart and voice to the Father in thanksgiving; and let us say, as we consider Him, "Lord Jesus make us more like Thee." You may be sure of this, one of our greatest privileges, as being left in this world today, in the midst of a state of things of which I have spoken, is to be able to give thanks to the Father, that He should hear from His children thanksgiving and songs of praise, that sweet harmonious notes should rise to Him, sweeter notes than angels can raise. That thanksgiving of our Lord has stamped upon the Christian assembly its true character — it should be a thanksgiving assembly and everyone of us individually should be of those who give thanks. What cause indeed we have for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is very intimately connected with, if not of the essence of, worship. For thanksgiving is the consequence of blessings received, whether in providence or in redemption. The sense of God's goodness and grace in thus ministering to us, in blessing us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, constrains us to pour out our thanksgivings in His presence; and then, necessarily, we are led to reflect upon the character and attributes of the God who thus delights to surround us with the tokens of His love and care; and consequently thanksgiving passes over into worship.

These Scriptures, and many others, tell us of the spirit of praise and worship that should daily characterize the Christian. Let us, then, cultivate this spirit of thanksgiving and worship which is the natural outflow of the divine nature and an essential characteristic of the Christian life.

Thanksgiving will accompany the worship which the Lord will receive in heaven (Rev. 4:9). As eternity will not be sufficient to exhaust our expressions of deep, heart-felt gratitude to Him, earnest thanksgiving should also be our habitual occupation even now.

The saint who is joyful passes naturally to thanksgiving and praise. Hence verse 12 flows out of verse 11. We give thanks to God as the Father, for it is in this character we know Him, and that He has wrought on our behalf in the pursuance of His purposes of love. We give thanks for that which He has done. The items of the thanksgiving follow a descending scale. We work downwards from His purpose to the meeting of our need, which was necessary in order that His purpose might be reached.