A Thankful Heart
Jesus was Thankful, so we should be too
We know in the bible it says “”Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In fact the bible says so many times for us to “give thanks” and that doesn’t mean to not have feelings, or to ignore desires that God has placed on your heart, but in the midst of our struggles we can be thankful.
Psalm 92:1-2
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name… to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night”
Psalm 107:1, 8–9
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his love endures forever!”
Psalm 136:1–3
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever”
Psalm 28:7
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him”
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”
1 Thessalonians 3:9
“For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God”
But the pattern we see in these verses is we give Thanks because of His goodness. We give thanks because of his steadfast love, we give thanks because of His loving kindness and His faithfulness. Giving thanks has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with what He has already done for us.
The truth is that even Jesus himself gave thanks. He gave thanks in
Matthew 15:36: Jesus thanked God for the bread he multiplied to feed the hungry
Luke 10:21: Jesus thanked God for revealing truth to children instead of the wise
John 11:41: Jesus thanked God for hearing his prayer before raising Lazarus from the dead
Luke 22:17-18: Jesus thanked God for the cup at the Passover meal
Luke 22:19: Jesus thanked God for the bread at the Last Supper
Jesus gave thanks in many ways, including: for the bread that was multiplied, for the wisdom given to children, for God hearing his prayers, for the cup and for the bread which was his body and blood shed for us.
If we are image bearers of God then we must become like Jesus – giving thanks in all these moments. Giving thanks for miracles before they even happen, giving thanks that God gives us wisdom and we do not have to be scholars or theologians to have Godly wisdom, giving thanks that God hears our prayers, and giving thanks ultimately for the sacrifice of Jesus.
How often do we thank God before the miracle comes to pass? Or how often do we thank God that He hears us before we see Him answer our prayers?
Another place we see thankfulness Is in John 6:23, John says “where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks” as a landmark. John could have just said, “Oh yeah, that’s the place near Tiberias, But instead, he marks the spot by recalling “the bread” that everyone ate “after the Lord had given thanks.” This could perhaps show that perfect thankfulness can trigger a miracle.
We also see in John 11 that Jesus didn’t give thanks once he saw his prayers come to pass but he He thanked God before God raised up Lazarus. He thanked God for having heard Him, even before He called out Lazarus’ name. We need to be thankful before we see the answer to our prayers
Just as Jesus thanked God first – before the resurrection of Lazarus – he also thanked God for His own body and blood before He even died, before He was raised up miraculously. Luke puts it this way: “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks . . . and when He had taken some bread and given thanks …” Jesus said, “This is My Body, which is given for you . . . this cup . . . is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:17,19) We need to be thankful even if things don’t happen the way we think they should. We need to be thankful through our sufferings.
I also want to look at the story of the Lepers in Luke 17:17 Jesus has healed 10 lepers and only one came back, and Jesus said, “Were not the ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Were there not any found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?”” (Luke 17:17-18)”
Are we going to be the one that gives thanks, or the 9 who didn’t.
I think all of this can apply to the season you are currently in as singles. As a Christian Dating Coach and Matchmaker I meet with christian singles everyday, and I would say that I probably have 1 out of 10 people grateful for the season God has them in, and 9 out of 10 complain about it. Being thankful doesn’t mean that the desire for marriage goes away, or that you can’t have that desire, or that you don’t have feelings, but it’s about trusting that the Lord has your best interest at heart.
I believe our singleness is a gift. It is a time where we get to walk towards the Lord and seek him earnestly on this side of heaven. It is a time where we get to find what it truly means to have him as our first love, to know Him intimately and it prepares us for what He has for us. It also gives us the opportunity to know His heart for us and that He truly has the best for us and does not want anything hindered by that
I think back to so many stories of when in the midst of a struggle, or confusion that I wasn’t thankful. I now see that God was protecting me from so much. I think of relationships that didn’t work out and the confusion I had of why they didn’t work out, but ultimately I should have known that He had so much more for me and their was a reason it didn’t.
And this isn’t just about relationships. I think of job opportunities that I was bummed that I didn’t get and then weeks later something better came along that I would have never got if I got the first option.
As we reflect on Thankfulness this weekend, let us remember that
Gratitude is not mere politeness. Every thank you Jesus had was to God. He was genuinely grateful to God. Being thankful isn’t just a word we throw out there but a genuine response to God’s love for us.
Gratitude is truthfulness. Real gratitude aligns with the truth of the glory of God. Jesus’ gratitude was faith-filled precisely because Jesus was so truthful.He knew God. He knew without a doubt (James 1:6-7) that God is completely trustworthy, abounding in love with gracious, overflowing generosity.
Thankfulness is transformational. Let us become so thankful that we give thanks to God as Jesus did. Who knows? God just might multiple the fish and bread, or raise someone from the dead? Thankfulness has the power to produce miracles.
So often we don’t see the full picture, we see a glimpse and just because we don’t see the bigger story doesn’t mean that God isn’t always working on our behalf. He deserves all of our praise, glory and honour and our thanksgiving too.
Written By Michelle Apples
Check out The Christian Singles Hub website for information on Christian matchmaking, Christian speed dating, upcoming Christian retreats, events, trips and so much more at https://thechristiansingleshub.com/
I do agree that, in the midst of our struggles, we can be thankful. That doesn’t mean we have to be thankful FOR our struggles. That seems like a bit much. I don’t think any Christian will honestly admit that this is their usual reaction when faced with trial.
If you’re single, and you don’t want to be, are you required to “give thanks for it”? I would say no. And I wouldn’t say people are necessarily “complaining” about it, simply by expressing their desire for romance/marriage/sex etc. These desires are all normal.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul mentions Christian singles who “burn with passion.” Does he admonish them, tell them to stop whining, and tell them to be thankful for being single? He does not. He tells them that it’s OK to marry. He even says it might be “better” for them to marry.
Is singleness a “gift”? Depends on what you mean. When Paul talks about singleness being a gift in 1 Corinthians 7, he seems to be referring to an ability, not the state of being single. He uses the same Greek word he uses for spiritual gifts. He even says in verse 7 that this gift is “from God.”
“[Singleness] is a time where we get to walk towards the Lord and seek him earnestly on this side of heaven.” Well, sure it can be. A lot of the time, when you’re single, people tell you to “take advantage” of it because you can apparently “serve more.” You have more “time” to serve.
I think lot of this comes from a certain take on what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35. Paul basically says that an unmarried person is devoted to the Lord and not distracted by the needs of his spouse. This is then interpreted by some to mean that a person can do “more ministry” as a single. I don’t think that’s what Paul says here. I mean, if that’s the case, why are all the pastors and church elders typically married? Did they make a mistake? Is marriage getting in the way of their ministry? What Paul says here, I believe, is that if you AREN’T distracted by the desire for marriage, then MAYBE you have the gift of singleness.
Is God the reason that certain relationships don’t work out? Whenever they fail, is it because of “God’s protection”? I have my doubts about that, too. Often, as Christians (and perhaps especially as hopeful Christian singles) we can get the idea that God is some kind of puppetmaster who’s running every aspect of our love lives. If things work out, it’s because of His plan. If they don’t, it’s because of His plan. I’m not so sure about that. That leaves out all kinds of factors.
I mean, it’s a lot more common than it used to be for people to marry at later ages. It used to happen in your early twenties (even the mid-teens in some eras), but now, all of a sudden, God has changed it to your mid-twenties and thirties in the modern era? Why? Does He want to “test” us further or something?
Another idea we can get into our heads is that, if you’re currently single, it’s “God’s best for your right now.” Oh? So any current situation I’m in is “God’s best” for me right now”? What if I’m currently sick, or homeless, or being abused, or unemployed? Are those situations “God’s plan,” just because they’re currently happening? We live in a bad world, where bad things happen and life doesn’t always go our way. Yes, God is good. But we live in a world that is NOT good. I’ve often read that there’s more Christian women in the world than there are men. If that’s the case, not every Christian woman will be able to find a marriage partner? Is that “God’s plan” too? I know in the Garden of Eden God said that it “wasn’t good” for man to be alone, so He made a mate for him. Then, of course, sin entered the world and screwed everything up. In Matthew 19, Jesus talks about singles (well, eunuchs), and he mentions a few different types. People who were made that way by God, people who choose to live that way, and people who were made that way “by other men.” In other words, some people stay single even if they don’t want to, and don’t really have a choice in the matter. It’s just how life turned out. It’s just one of many bad things we have to deal with in a fallen, sinful world.
I think we sometimes have bad motives for attributing our singleness to “God’s will.” We can use it as a way to avoid dealing with rejection, our own insecurities, our own sins, our own shortcomings, or our own fears. And, of course, as Christian we often just over-spiritualize everything.
If you’re single and don’t want to be, then no, I don’t think you have to be “thankful” for it. For a lot of us, expressing thanks for this would be dishonest. Isn’t dishonesty a bad thing?