Give Thanks in All Circumstances

So today I'm going to share a short message about Thanksgiving.

When I think about this topic, I think there's a lot of things come to my mind what Thanksgiving is about.

And one of the things that I, the more I think about the way that we give thanks,

it actually points us to our Christ-centeredness.

The more we give thanks, the actually, the more we will center our lives in Christ.

So this is the big idea.

So there's no better time for us to actually give thanks to God in the end of this year.

God has done a lot of things in our lives, including some of the people we share.

And I'll be honest, if you give thanks and you give thanks properly,

I think it will increase the Christ-centeredness in our lives.

Okay?

But in the Bible, what are we talking about when we talk about Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is described pervasively through the Bible.

In the New Testament, there are roughly 72 places where Thanksgiving is being mentioned and being articulated

in the form of the words like thankful, grateful, or giving thanks.

And in the Old Testament, there are 102 times that Thanksgiving has been actually presented to us.

Largely, it's from the book of Psalms.

So if you look at Psalms 104 to 5, which is on the screen,

it summarizes what Thanksgiving to God is about.

So the psalmist repeatedly called the people of Israel to thank the Lord on two things.

The first thing is his loving kindness.

And the second thing is his miraculous work among the people of Israel.

How do we give thanks usually?

If I be honest with you, sometimes we give thanks without any passion.

So we give thanks like, although we give thanks, our heart is very distant from God.

So we give thanks for our meals.

Okay, thank God for this meal.

But we need to ask ourselves some hard questions.

Are you actually grateful to the food on the table?

Why not, if not?

So I think that's the thing that I'm thinking.

Sometimes our thankgiving is quite repetitive and mechanical.

And it doesn't have that heartfelt thanksgiving attitude.

So if you look at the Psalms 147, verse 1.

Psalms 147:1

The psalmist described this quite well.

He said,

He sings to the Lord with grateful praise.

Make music to our God to the harp.

So what does it mean?

How does it look like when you carry that attitude and trying to give thanks before your meals?

I would suggest something like this.

In addition to our gratitude to God's providence,

we joyfully thank God for creating such a delicious food.

God, thank you for the ice cream.

Thank you for the barbecue pork.

So let your heart be joyful when you really give thanks to God,

rather than a mechanical, repetitive way of giving thanks.

That's point number one.

What about the New Testament?

The New Testament also talks about thanksgiving.

Especially I pick a passage in 1 Thessalonians 5.18.

There Paul actually explains thanksgiving in a profound way.

So God's will for us is rejoicing, praying, and giving constantly.

These are commands that are interdependent on each other.

What does it mean?

It means that rejoicing comes out of giving thanks.

The more thankful you are, the more joyful and prayerful you will be.

So what does it look like when Paul encourages us to give thanks in all circumstances?

I'll look at it in two angles.

One is when we are at a very good time.

The second one is when we are actually in a time where we are facing some challenges and difficulties in life.

Let's look at it in these two angles.

When good things are happening in our lives, giving thanks seems to be very natural.

But do we realize the ways and attitude in which we give thanks to God make a big difference in growing our Christ-centeredness?

We say we give thanks.

We are thankful for such and such things happening in our lives.

When a child was admitted to a school, we give thanks.

We are thankful.

When we got a job or we got a promotion, we are thankful.

But what are we actually thankful for?

When we thank the gifts without thinking about the giver, we will put our faith into the wrong place.

That's the...

Imagine when the father gives toys to his son.

The child is so thankful for the toys, very happy.

When he only focuses on the toys, not the father who gives the toys.

The excitement on the toys dissipates very quickly.

And the thankfulness will dissipate together with it.

On the other hand, when the son turns his thankfulness to his father for the toys,

the excitement continues even.

He gets bored with the toys because he knows that there are some more toys coming on his way.

So that's the difference between when we actually give thanks to the gifts rather than the giver.

When we give thanks to God himself, the giver, it draws our attention to him.

The goodness of the giver always sticks with us more than the gifts.

We tend to remember the giver, not the gifts.

Just like the son, an example I show.

And when we actually know that who is the giver that gives us this job, or gives us this school,

or gives us this relationship, we look at these things differently.

Because God never provides you something without a purpose.

God never gives you something randomly.

Okay.

So in other words, when you actually identify that the giver is the important focus,

we know that whatever we receive has a purpose on it.

For instance, if you receive a job, you get a job promotion.

If you know the giver is God, it points you to how you do the job.

You do it differently from you actually do it as if this is a random thing happening in your life.

So focusing on your thanksgiving on God will help you to actually receive the gift

and carry out what God wants you to do in that gift.

Make sense?

Okay.

The other end goals I want to look at is the bad times, which is a little bit more challenging.

How will we actually give thanks when things are not happening in the way that we want it?

Perhaps in a year like Joshua, losing his job, right?

So some of us may be becoming jobless this year.

Some of us may be breaking up a relationship with a girlfriend and boyfriend.

And some of us may have persistent health issues.

And some of us may be having a very difficult boss to work with.

Okay.

In those situations, is it even possible to give thanks?

And my answer to you is that it's not only possible, but also transformational.

So I would like to use this passage to encourage each one of us.

James 1, verse 2 to 4.

James 1:2–4

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

When we look at our disappointment, failures, and even sufferings, we are often led to think along the line,

what have we done wrong, what have we done wrong, that God is allowing this and that happening in our lives.

Or is it mere bad luck?

It is not exactly what James encouraged us to think.

On the contrary, James is telling us to rejoice.

Think about Captain America.

It is invincible.

This is exactly what this verse is about.

But how does it look like in real life?

Let's explore a little bit on this.

No one will enjoy disappointment, isn't it?

No one will enjoy failures or suffering.

What is James trying to say here?

I think the key phrase in that verse is considerate.

So the path of joy is the phase considerate.

So it means that there is something that we need to think through

in the midst of our disappointment, failure, and suffering

in order to produce that kind of joy that James is talking about.

Okay.

Okay.

And then the second question you would ask,

what are we going to consider?

Okay.

I think of two things.

One is to consider a bigger picture.

The second one is consider that God is shaping you through your circumstances.

Okay.

Okay.

When we look at things happening in our lives,

we are so drawn to fixate on the outcome.

When the outcome does not come the way that we want,

we are easily disappointed,

and our hearts grumble.

We refuse to see beyond the circumstances

for the greater good God is producing.

I remember I asked a friend,

hey, in your midst of these challenges,

can you consider this and this?

But people tend to resist that idea,

tend to refuse to accept that idea.

So, I remember when I was in college,

I prayed for, you know Michael Chang?

I prayed for Michael Chang, the tennis player in Taiwan,

or America,

to win the Grand Slam match.

Okay.

And I'm one of his fans.

He was a good Christian,

always glorifying God after winning the match,

and an excellent tennis prayer.

This seems to me a legitimate ask of God

to help him win.

So, I asked, I prayed.

Then I happened to know that there's a good brother of mine

who is praying for Stephen Adbert.

is Chang's opponent on that same match to win.

So, what was God going to do with our prayers?

What do you think?

So, I think the point I want to illustrate

is not the silliness of this ask,

but to point out the fact that we often see things

through the lens of our own interests.

We never look at other people's interests.

We always see things in our interests.

I always want Michael Chang to win.

Right?

And God is looking at the big picture.

Okay?

And he is causing all things to work for good

for those who love him.

Romans 28.28.

Wherever we experience disappointment and suffering,

could be the very blessing that God is using it

to bless someone else.

Right?

So, when we look at the big picture,

probably,

we will actually have some sense of what God is doing.

So, there are a few examples in the Old Testament

or New Testament on this.

A very famous story about Joseph.

A very famous story about Joseph.

Joseph.

Right?

Joseph was actually put into slavery by their brother.

Sailed into slavery by their brother.

Instead of growing bitter and giving up,

he lived a God-honoring life in the palace of Egypt.

What was actually in his mind,

we may be able to see the hint at the response

he made to his brother when there's a famine

and their family come to his palace to ask for help.

He considered the suffering he induced as a means

for God to work for the good of his family.

He was put there to save his family from the famine.

So, he is looking beyond his own circumstances.

For a greater good.

Another very, very important example is Jesus himself.

Look at Jesus himself.

He is looking beyond his suffering

to the joy of our salvation,

which empower him to endure

the cross and shame associated with it.

In Hebrew 12.2,

the author encouraged us to endure the suffering

by looking to Jesus as an example.

What does it say?

Let us run with endurance,

the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is seated at the right hand

of the throne of God.

So, some of you know that I have a brother,

an elder brother.

I need to take care of him

because he is

kind of disabled.

He has always been in my

heart to share the gospel with him.

But his life seems to be

moving further, further away

from believing in God

and going from bad to worse.

A few years back,

he experienced a stroke

causing by excessive use of alcohol,

and his left arm

was partially paralyzed.

His memory has been impacted a bit,

meaning that he cannot remember things quickly.

But his thinking is fully functional.

His wife and daughter left him

after this instance.

And you can imagine that

his life is basically

turning upside down.

Right?

And during the recovery process

of the stroke,

I was struggling to take care of him as well

because I was under

a very demanding job,

traveling all the time.

Our conversation was getting

more direct

on the gospel.

Talking about life and death,

really direct.

Meaning and purpose,

regrets and sin.

There were a lot of seemingly

hopeless and crying moments

in that few years.

But I felt that these were

the work of the Holy Spirit

in both myself and him.

So virtually,

his heart

was somehow open

to the gospel.

He saw himself

a great sinner

that is beyond forgiveness.

He knew that

he could not pay back

anything that

pay back anything

to his wife

and his daughter.

and in his despair,

God showed him

that he could be forgiven

regardless of his past.

And this become

a very important message

to him

and later on

led him to

come to Christ.

He was,

he eventually

put his trust in Christ

and be baptized

afterwards.

And this is

from his own saying,

if there were no

stroke,

there is no

Christ in me.

I think the big picture

of this suffering

is that God

was using a stroke

to help him

to see his need

for forgiveness.

I think this is

worth to thank for.

The second thing

to consider,

sorry about

too serious.

The second thing

to consider

when it comes to

Thanksgiving

in our bad times

is that

failure,

disappointment

and suffering

shape and grow

our faith.

Right?

We read it before.

In James

1, 2 to 4.

For you know that

the testing

of your faith

produces

steadfastness

and that

steadfastness

have its

full effect.

that you may be

perfect

and complete

lacking

in nothing.

So how does

it actually work?

Just want to

point you back

to the story

of my brother.

After he

became a Christian,

not everything

is good.

Actually,

a lot of

challenges

during the

process

of discipling

him.

His faith

journey

is basically

defined

by

worries

and fears.

And discipling

him is a

very tough

period for

me

because

it's over

a long

period of

time

and it's

constantly

week by week

discipling.

I would

honestly say

that I

don't want

to visit

my brother

because

every time

I visit

him there's

a grumbling

and complaining

and you

can tell my

wife,

ask my

wife,

she keep

praying for

me every

time.

life.

But as I

disciple my

brother,

one thing

I find

that God

is reviewing

to myself

my own

fraud

through

understanding

what my

brother's

fraud is.

I see

myself

in my

brother.

We are

same

mother,

same

father.

We carry

similar

blood,

carry

similar

upbringing.

So that

actually

resonates a

lot of

me on

his

challenge.

What he

needs from

God's mercy

is also my

needs for

God's mercy.

And I'm

so thankful

that I

understand more

about myself

by looking at

my brother.

the second

thing which

is very,

very thankful

is that I

start to

learn how

to take

care of

people that

are in

need.

The

billion ways

I use

to counsel

people with

good reasons.

All this

strategy

doesn't work

with my

brother.

He doesn't

understand.

it doesn't

stick with

him.

He just

need me

to be

there.

I recall

many moments

that I

am

frustrated

and

really

becoming

a few

a little bit

hopeless

how to

help him.

right?

And

almost

every time

the Holy

Spirit

will

give me

words

to say

to my

brothers.

Sometimes

it's

strange.

The words

come out

to me

are silly

words

but to

my

brother

he

resonated

a lot.

That's why

I see that

this is from

the Holy

Spirit.

it's not

for me.

What I

think I

am

clever on

trying to

do

reasoning

doesn't

work

with my

brother.

I'm so

thankful that

God is

humbling me

and comforting

me

in this

way

so that I

will be able

to comfort

others.

It also

reminds me

Paul's

own

testimony

in 2

Corinthians

1

4

God

will comfort

us in

all our

affection

so that

we may

be able

to comfort

those

who are

in any

affliction

with the

comfort

with which

we ourselves

are comforted

by God.

So

I'm so

thankful that

I went

through this

experience

and also

think about

the topic

of

thanksgiving.

This is

worth for

us to

give thanks

even in

bad times.

One final

point.

Sorry.

One final

point.

In

Colossians

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

12 to

14

Paul

encouraged

the believers

to thank

God the

Father

for the

salvation

through

redemption

work of

his

Son.

Now

this

thanksgiving

does not

depend on

any

circumstances.

So

the

word

say

giving

thanks

to

the

Father

who

has

qualified

you

to

share

in

the

inheritance

of

the

saints

in

light.

He

has

delivered

us

from

the

domain

of

darkness

and

transferred

us

to

the

kingdom

of

his

beloved

Son

in

whom

we

have

redemption

the

forgiveness

of

sins.

So

it is

another

way

of

saying

we

give

thanks

to

God

for

adopting

us

as

his

children

saving

us

from

his

death

and

giving

us

an

eternal

life

and

forgiving

us

our

sins.

But

we

often

overlook

one

very

important

thing

is

the

gift

of

all

gifts

from

God

his

only

begotten

son

the

person

of

Jesus

Christ

Jesus

said

very

famous

that

he

is

the

way

the

truth

and

the

life

no

one

comes

to

the

father

except

through

me

in

other

words

he

is

not

only

the

giver

of

all

things

but

also

the

gift

himself

I

found

what

pastor

John

Piper

if

you

know

him

said

one

of

the

in

his

writing

articulate

this

very

well

which

I

want

to

communicate

with

you

ultimately

the

aim

of

God's

work

redemption

is

not

that

through

Christ

we

may

have

salvation

but

that

through

salvation

we

may

have

Christ

the

all

satisfying

treasure

we

need

to

ask

ourselves

these

questions

do

we

treasure

Christ

as

a

person

or

we

always

look

at

the

gifts

do

we

treasure

Christ

as

a

person

do

we

love

him

do

we

do

what

he

is

pleasing

to

him

do

we

long

for

him

do

we

long

for

his

second

coming

do

we

long

for

the

coming

of

Christ

so

I

encourage

all of

us

including

myself

in

2025

let's

our

thanksgiving

center

on

Christ

always

the

giver

of

all

things

whether

this

is a

good

time

or

bad

times

let

us

pray

father

god

thank

you

for

your

message

thank

you

for

helping

me

to

say

the

things

that

I

want

to

say

thank

you

for

the

congregation

thank

you

for

brother

and

sister

here

may

your

holy

spirit

work

in

each

one

of

us

that

we

take

home

an

important

message

of

the

gift

of

Jesus

Christ

in

our

lives

in

Jesus

name

we

pray

amen

we

we

we

we

we

pray

we

have

some

of

our

heart

we

have

you

are

die

we

who

amer

our

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our