Charles Stanley - The Reach of Our Thanksgiving (05/15/2017)
Dr. Stanley explains why God commands us to "give thanks in everything" without detailed instructions—it's to drive us deeper into knowing Him personally. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Romans 8:28, he shows that God's sovereignty over all things allows believers to thank Him even in pain, trusting He works everything for our good and to conform us to Christ.
Why God Doesn't Give Step-by-Step Instructions for His Commands
Have you noticed that oftentimes God in the scriptures will tell us something to do, but He doesn't tell us how to do it? For example, when He says we're to be filled with the Holy Spirit, period, no instruction. Or love your enemies. No instruction. Or to walk in the Spirit. In other words, you can just go through the Bible thinking about all the things He commands us to do, but doesn't give us any instruction.
Now, it used to bother me when I'd think about, well, Lord, if that's what You want us to do, why don't You just say one, two, three points, like a message, and tell me how to do it? So I finally figured out why He wouldn't. Because if He did that, here's what we would do. We'd come up with some problem in our life, and we'd think, okay, where's that passage? And then we'd read what it says, then we'd do the following three things. We'd close our Bible, we'd say, "I got that one down". The next thing we came up with, we'd find one with three, four, five points and we'd say, "I got that". And what would happen is we would only read where we felt there was a need in our life and that there was some answer.
So I finally figured out why He didn't do that. Because God wants us to know Him. Not just settle problems, not just answer particular needs that we have. He wants us to know Him, who He is, how does He operate, what are His ways? How does He think? And so as a result, the answers to all of these questions are in the Word of God, but what happens is we have to go to other places oftentimes and search and find out what did God say in this situation? Sometimes it's in somebody's life or some doctrinal statement the apostle Paul has made.
The Command That Seems Impossible: Give Thanks in Everything
So the passage of scripture I want us to read is just one verse primarily. And He makes a statement and He doesn't tell us how. It's a very, very important command of God. And most people will read it and think, well, I don't know what that means, but it couldn't mean that because it's impossible to do that. Certainly couldn't mean that. So what does it mean? And usually here's what people do. "Well, I don't understand that part," and they just move on.
The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit who lives within you and indwells you, is there for a number of reasons. One of the primary reasons is to give us understanding of the Word. The scripture says in the Psalms: "The entrance of Thy Word gives light". That is the entrance of His Word into my life, gives me light, gives me instructions. "It's a lamp to my feet," he says, "a light to my path". So it's the will of God that you and I understand it.
So I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and Paul is ending up this wonderful Epistle, talking about the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and how to live the life and when that day comes and so forth, and he comes down to this last chapter and the last few verses are very short. So he says, beginning in verse 12. "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seeks after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing". That's a lot of commands. No instruction.
Watch this one. "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Now of all the things he told us to do in this passage, I would think that's the most difficult. Listen to what he says: "In everything," not some things, most things, good things, easy things. "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".
Understanding "In Everything Give Thanks" – What It Really Means
Now remember that last phrase because people usually forget that. It says, "In Christ Jesus," that is, on the basis of your relationship to Him, we're to give thanks. Now, listen to this. This is the will of God, he says. That is, this is God's purpose, His plan, His will for every single one of His children. That is that you and I are to give thanks to God in every circumstance and no exception, in everything.
If I ask you isolated from this message, what does everything include, you would say what? Everything. So that means all of my pain, hurt, suffering, sorrow, difficulty, losses, pleasures. In everything I'm to give thanks. Now he doesn't give us any instructions how to do that. So what is the key to that?
If I'm to give thanks, as he says in every single thing, it's easy, for example, to give thanks in your house when there's a new baby born, or when you have a new home or a new car and you're going on vacation, lots of things to be thankful for. But what about the suffering, the heartaches, the trials, the difficulties and things we don't understand? You have to put both those in the same bucket, because he says we're to give thanks in everything.
Now, that being the case, that means I'm gonna have to face up to some things that I don't like, some things I don't understand, the things that don't seem like anything that God would do. It seems so totally unlike God to allow certain things in our life. But He says whether I understand it or not, I'm to give thanks.
Why God Commands Thanks Even in Pain and Suffering
Now, the question is, Why does He do it? Why does He command this when these things are oftentimes so unnatural? In other words, why... how does God expect me to give thanks for pain? How am I to give thanks for disappointment and hurt and separation and loss? How am I to give thanks for failure? Because you see, you read that passage and you say, "Well, that means for all the good things that God sends in your life". No, He says we're to give thanks for everything.
Now, when I think about that, I have to ask the question, why would He say it? I want you to see that God has many reasons. That is, this is not just one reason, but He has a whole barrage of reasons why He says we're to give thanks, even in these difficult times, and the first one is this. It motivates us to look for God's purpose in everything. When... if I am to give thanks for everything, then I'm gonna be motivated to look what is God's purpose in this thing in my life that I don't particularly like.
Secondly, it helps us bring our will into submission to His will, especially when there's a time of suffering and heartache: "God, I want what You want no matter what". And it reminds us of our constant dependence upon Him. In other words, if I am to give thanks in every situation, especially in those things that I don't feel adequate to face up to in life, it reminds me that I am to give thanks and I am in the process of doing so only because I'm trusting Him in dependence upon Him.
Then it helps us to trust Him when we don't understand why. God, I don't understand why, but I'm gonna... I'm gonna trust You anyway. And so it helps me in my motivation to trust Him if I know that I'm obeying His command by giving thanks when I don't understand it.
The Many Benefits of Thanking God in Every Circumstance
It's essential to my rejoicing in the midst of suffering. In other words, if I don't believe He's in everything, I'm not gonna rejoice. I'm not gonna have any real peace in the midst of things that are so painful and so hurtful. And of course, it gives our witness a greater impact. When you see other people going through very difficult situations, and they're able to thank God, and they said, you know, I don't like this, it's one of those painful things in my life, but I know that God's in it in some fashion, and I'm trusting Him and I'm thanking Him, even though I don't understand it. That would impact anybody's life, especially, many people that I've met who've gone through things and I think, oh God, how could they ever survive in this kind of a situation.
Then of course, it displaces my anxiety and frustration. And the result is, I'm going to have a peace. If I can thank Him for it, I'm gonna have peace within it, no matter what the situation may be. Gives our witness greater impact, helps us displace this anxiety within us, helps keep our focus on Him rather than on the circumstances. That is, if I am thanking Him, my mind is on Him, my focus is on Him, not on the circumstance.
And then of course, likewise, it energizes us in the midst of a very exhausting situation. That is, if what we're going through is an emotional draining circumstance, and I am able and I'm willing to thank Him for it in spite of it, there is something very energizing about that. I know that to be true. In one of the most difficult times in my life when everything in me would say, sit down, stop, run away, give up, whatever, the most awesome divine energy of God's strength to keep moving, to keep trusting no matter what.
The Key to Obeying This Command – God's Absolute Sovereignty
Now by now you've probably thought of a few things. You haven't asked God to help you to be thankful. You've just said, God, why do You allow this? I don't understand this. If You love me, You wouldn't let this happen. Why did You... happen to my family? Why did You let it happen to my children? What about, what... Lord, where are You? Where I've always been, right living inside of you.
And so that brings me to the third issue, and that is what's the key? It's one thing to hear a command. It's one thing to wrestle with a command. The issue is, what's the key that unlocks the door to this command? That is, what is it I need to know in order to be able to give thanks when everything in myself does not want to give thanks?
The key is found in the 103rd Psalm. And remember what we said? We said, for example, that He may give us a command, but He doesn't give us a know-how, but it's in the scripture, and He wants us to search the scripture, and if we search the scripture, and pray and ask Him for guidance and direction, He will give it to us. Well, here it is. Here's the key.
And listen, without this key, you absolutely will not, you cannot, emotionally or mentally, truly, genuinely give God thanks without this key, and here it is, 103rd Psalm, in the 19th verse: "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all". Over how much? Over all. All things, all circumstances, all situations, He is in absolute control of every single thing.
How Romans 8:28 Completes the Picture of God's Control
Now, if you don't believe that, you're not gonna be able to thank God for everything. Because watch this, what this verse says, God is in control of your circumstance, no matter what it is. He's in control of whatever's coming against you, God's in control. Whatever is causing you pain, God's in control. Whatever's causing you joy and happiness and peace, God's in control. Whatever has caused your friends to turn against you, God is in control. Whatever physical suffering that you're going through, God is in control. That is, there's not anything in the life of a believer in which God is not in control.
Well, the truth is He's in control of everything. So when He says, "In everything give thanks; this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". Watch that last phrase "in Christ Jesus," which means this is true in the life of a believer.
If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, you're living your life without God, you say, "I think I can handle it somehow in some way," this is not true for you. Because you see, you're not going to give God thanks, for the simple reason, you're not a believer. He says "in Christ Jesus," so what Paul is saying primarily here relates to a follower of Jesus, a person who's been saved, somebody who is a believer in Christ Jesus and His resurrection power and His death on the cross.
So he says, "In everything, give thanks". Now, so that brings us to another passage of scripture, which most all of us would say we believe and sometimes we misquote it. So I want you to turn back to Romans chapter 8 for a moment. And Paul says something here that we hear misquoted oftentimes, and so then they wonder why God doesn't operate the way they expect Him to.
So He says in the 28th verse of Romans 8: "And we know," not think or hope. "We know that God causes," He's behind, "all things," period. Now that's not what it says. Now watch this. You'll hear people say, well, the Bible says God causes all things. No, it doesn't. He says, "God causes all things to work together". That is, He brings things together that we don't even think have any relationship at all. "He causes all things to work together for good". Well, how could this be for good? Keep listening. "To those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".
What Happens When We Truly Thank God in All Things
So we're talking about people who have trusted Jesus as their personal Savior. We can say, "We thank You, God". We can give thanks for every single situation. In everything give thanks. What? We're talking about those who have become followers of Jesus, because in your life and my life, He's working all these things for good. According to what? Because of our love for Him and because we're called according to His purpose.
And the truth is, if you're a child of God, you're only a child of God because He called you into salvation for His purpose. Somebody says, well, I'll just get saved whenever I please. No, you won't. You can't. You'll only get saved when the Spirit of God brings to your attention that you need Him, that you're living in sin, that you're separated from Him, and that by His grace at the cross and His shed blood, He's paid your sin debt in full and brings to your understanding what it means to put your faith in Him, trust Him for your forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. That's when you'll be saved.
So if you are boasting about, you'll get right with God when you want to, no, you won't. You'll get right with God in response to the work of the Holy Spirit. And so he says in this passage, all things God causes to work together for good to those who love Him and to those who are called according to His purpose, because when He saves us, He calls us to fulfill a purpose that He has predestined in your life and my life.
So here's the key. The key is simply this. I must believe that He is in absolute control of every single aspect of my life, no matter what it might be. Whatever He allows in our life, listen, He allows with full knowledge of where it's coming from, what the motivation was or is, and of how He's going to work it out for our good if we'll simply trust Him.
The Results of Living Out This Truth in Daily Life
So nothing happens in your life and my life apart from Him. Once you become a child of God, mark this down, He encircles us with a shield of protection, and the only thing that can get into your life and my life as a child of God is when He chooses to open the door. Now we love for Him to open the door for pleasure, good times, wealth, lots of friends, joy, good health, and then sometimes He opens the door for things we think, "No, no, that couldn't be of God". He says, "Oh yes, it is," because you see, He has purposes that you and I don't understand. He's still in control.
It's easy to understand that He's in control when everything's going our way. We love to quote Romans 8:28. We think, "Oh praise God, Hallelujah, He's doing what He said". Then He chooses to open the door of pain and hurt and suffering and loss and disappointment and misunderstanding. Is He still in control? Yes. Is He still working something good? Yes.
Listen, He doesn't work things for good when I understand it. He works things for good, listen, when I simply yield to Him and obey Him and trust Him, and I'm willing to thank Him for it. So no matter what you and I face, He is in control. And He has not come to the place where He says, "Well, that's too late". No, God is in control of what's going on in your life today, right now.
Therefore, on the basis of this, that He is in control of all things, all times, all circumstances, all situations, does that mean I understand why He allows certain things to happen? No. There are some things you and I will never understand till we get to glory. He doesn't say I have to understand. I don't have a right to insist on understanding. But He says, listen, I am to give thanks for everything because He is in absolute control of all things, and He's working all things together for our good and for His purpose, and His purpose is to conform us to the likeness of His Son.
Therefore, I have all the motivation I need. I may have to struggle with some things I go through. But I have all the motivation I need to thank Him in every circumstance because He's working it for my good and He's going to... He's gonna use that to conform me to the likeness of His Son.
How Thankfulness Changes Everything for the Believer
Therefore, I not only have the expectation, I have the motivation to say, "Lord, I'm gonna thank You in this. I don't like it. It is painful, it hurts. I don't understand it. I've wept and wept and wept. I've asked You why, but I'm gonna thank You anyway".
When you and I come to the position, place in our spiritual life, where we can thank Him for everything, here's what you can expect. Number one, our faith in God will prove unshakeable. Our faith in God will prove unshakable because you're rooted and grounded in the truth, and you can thank Him, knowing that He's working it for your good, predetermined, predestined, to be conformed to His likeness.
The second thing is this. That our conflicts with other people, listen, conflicts with other people will not leave us bitter, no matter how much they may hurt you. You know what? Somebody says, "Yeah, but you don't know how bad I've been hurt". None of us know how bad anybody else has been hurt. God knows I've been hurt. But if I thank Him, we won't be bitter. You can't... listen, you can't thank God for what's going on in your life and be bitter and be right.
Number three, we'll be comforted in times of heartache and sorrow. Why? Because I'm thanking Him for it. I know He's in control. He's working it for my good, and He's conforming me to the likeness of His Son. Then that being true, I'm... even in my most difficult trying times, I can thank Him.
And number four, our circumstances will not be able to steal our contentment. Why? Because we know He's up to something good. And think about this, this is the God of unconditional love who has our best interest in all times and knowing in my heart, He wants us to be content. And Paul said in Philippians, that 4th chapter, he says, "I've learned in every circumstance to be content". Look what he went through to learn that lesson.
And the truth is, the last thing is, we'll sincerely be able to give thanks in everything when you learn the key, but you got to put these three things together. Remember, I'm to give thanks in everything. In the process of doing so, I'm... it's because I believe that He's in absolute control. He's working everything for my good, and He's paying me the highest honor He could pay me: I want to make you like My Son Jesus Christ. That's how you and I can give thanks in everything.