1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- Why Give Thanks?

Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CEV)

I heard a story once. 

Two old men were sitting on a park bench, the first looked to the second, and saw that the man was sad, almost crying.  The first man asked, "What has you so upset?"

The sad man glanced towards the first, "Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me fifty thousand dollars."

"I'm sorry for your loss. " 

"But you see, two weeks ago, my aunt died and left me a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And that was after the taxes."

"Well, it seems like you've been blessed even in the face of this tragedy."

"You don't understand," the sad man interrupted. His hands flying upwards with emotion. "Last week, my great-aunt died and left me another half-million dollars."

"Then tell me, what has you so sad?"

"This week....nothing!"

Why should we give thanks? 

The simplest answer is that God has asked us too. That we thank Him for all that we are, have, and the circumstances of our life. Giving thanks is intimately tied into giving Praise to Him.  In fact, I say that it would be nearly impossible to praise Him without thanking Him. 

Yet, for all that, showing, feeling, and expressing thankfulness is a beneficial action. It's good for us, and helps us both physically and psychologically.  

The alternative, if we are not grateful and thankful for what we have, means that we can quickly become arrogant, and self-centered. This is not just in our relationship with Christ, but in the one we have with family, friends and co-workers.  We don't see the things we have as gifts, and things that are good, but rather as something that is our due. That we are owed such things, no matter the cost to others. 

A lack of gratefulness can damage a relationship, as surely and as easily as harsh words.

But, it goes above and beyond that. As is the case with so many of these simple facts which God has asked us to do, giving thanks, being grateful, has a number of health benefits that have been studied and scientifically proven.

Being grateful can:

• Improve self-esteem and other positive emotions
• Cause feeling of jealousy, envy and even depression to fall away
• Improve sleep 
• Generate friendships 
• Reduce antagonists

All of these things, are important and healthy, but being grateful also means that we appreciate our life, and what we have.  Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. researches the science of gratitude, and writes (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good), "research on emotion shows that positive emotions wear off quickly. Our emotional systems like newness. They like novelty. They like change. We adapt to positive life circumstances so that before too long, the new car, the new spouse, the new house—they don’t feel so new and exciting anymore."

Think on that. When we get something positive in our life, something good, our bodies immediately start a countdown that means we no longer thing about those things. That we stop considering how nice it is to have a roof over our heads, or full bellies. 

But being thankful changes that. It reminds us that we have this things. That those things have value, and that prolongs the length of time we spend enjoying them, and it also means that we're less likely to take them for granted. 

So let us remember to give thanks.  Tell your husband and wife thank you the next time they do something, anything, around you. Tell your children thank you, when they behave. Tell your parents thank you, when they sit down to a meal with you. Tell your boss thank you for working with you. Tell your friends thank you for being your friend. And tell a waitress thank you when she sets your drink down. 

But above all, tell God thank you. We should do so to remind ourselves of all that God has given to us. To be grateful for all that He has done for us. And to be thankful for everything that He has in mind for our future.