The Heart of Christian Thanksgiving

Christians gather for thanksgiving not merely to celebrate common blessings like good health, happy families, or successful careers. While these are appreciated, Christian gratitude runs deeper than worldly pleasures or polite expressions. True thanksgiving springs from a heart that has been transformed by the gospel, a gratitude that sees beyond visible comforts to the eternal work of God in all circumstances.

A hymn that profoundly captures this depth of gratitude is “Thanks to God for My Redeemer.” Its message is encapsulated right from the first line: “Thanks to God for my Redeemer.” Redemption from sin is the foundation of Christian thanksgiving, for earthly blessings alone cannot save a soul on the Day of Judgment. The hymn continues by thanking God for daily provisions, companionship, and even the difficult experiences of life, such as “dark and stormy fall” and “tears by now forgotten.”

What makes the hymn especially striking is its deliberate gratitude for both answered prayers and denied requests, acknowledging that God’s denials are also rooted in His perfect wisdom. Lines like “Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure. Thanks for comfort in despair… Thanks for roses by the wayside. Thanks for thorns their stems contain,” affirm the Christian belief that even hardships are under God’s sovereign hand, designed for our ultimate good and His glory.

This hymn reflects the realistic nature of biblical faith. Christianity does not ignore suffering or offer empty promises of a trouble-free life. Instead, Christians are called to face life’s struggles with a hope that transcends circumstances. The most practical response to life’s trials is to turn to Jesus Christ, the living God who has power over all things and who loves His people.

God never promises a life without problems, but He does promise His presence. He is the One who can bring beauty out of brokenness and purpose from pain. This perspective was lived out by August Ludvig Storm, the hymn’s author, who was crippled by illness at age 37. Yet, he continued to thank God for both the peaceful years and the years of suffering. His hymns became testimonies of a heart anchored in God’s unchanging goodness.

The Bible teaches, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanking God for pleasant experiences is easy, but expressing gratitude amidst pain and difficulty feels counterintuitive. Yet, many faithful Christians throughout history have modeled this deeper gratitude. Charles Spurgeon, often in poor health, once said that sickness was “a gift greater still” than health because it brought him nearer to God. George Matheson, blinded at age 20, famously prayed, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns.”

Such believers recognized that suffering, while painful, often draws us closer to God. Through tears, they saw the brilliance of God’s promises more clearly. Just as roses have thorns to protect them, so too do life’s thorns serve a divine purpose. They are not meaningless accidents, but tools God uses to refine and redirect us toward Himself.

At the heart of this ability to give thanks in both joy and sorrow is the understanding that God has already met humanity’s greatest need: the forgiveness of sins. While many people are preoccupied with immediate concerns—passing exams, mending relationships, achieving financial stability—Scripture points to a far greater need: to be reconciled with God, the source of life and blessing.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is not just about bad actions; it is failing to meet God’s holy standard and failing to glorify Him for the gifts we enjoy. Humanity often prides itself on independence from God, yet refuses to bear the consequences of such rebellion. The Bible declares, “the wages of sin is death”—a spiritual death with eternal ramifications.

But God, in His mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to address this deepest need. Jesus, though perfectly sinless, bore the punishment for human sin. Wearing a crown of thorns and suffering death on a cross, He took the full penalty of sin upon Himself. Salvation and forgiveness are offered to all who place their faith in Him, as Scripture consistently teaches.

People often question why a good God allows suffering, forgetting that Jesus Himself suffered more profoundly and unjustly than any human ever will. Christians can give thanks in all circumstances because their ultimate hope is anchored not in fleeting earthly comforts, but in the sufficiency of Christ. This gratitude recognizes that if Christ is enough, then no trial is wasted, no suffering is purposeless.

When thanksgiving is limited to tangible, “good” things, it trivializes the deeper reality of gratitude. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures… but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Pain and hardship strip away illusions of self-sufficiency and reveal our utter dependence on God. In these moments, pride is exposed, idols are shattered, and the heart is softened to hear God’s voice.

A contemporary example of this is the story of Oliver, the infant son of Paul and Ellis, whose recent baptism was a culmination of ten years of waiting and prayer. Their journey resonates with the hymn’s line, “Thanks for tears by now forgotten.” Though their wait for a child was agonizing, it became a season where God reoriented their desires. They learned to seek Him above all else, preparing their hearts to parent in a manner that reflects Christ. Their joy in Oliver’s arrival was deepened by the years of longing, as God’s timing revealed His faithfulness.

Similarly, Rachel’s ongoing battle with cancer serves as a poignant reminder that Christian thanksgiving does not ignore suffering. Thanking God amidst pain may seem foolish or heartless unless one understands that Jesus has already addressed humanity’s ultimate problem—sin. Because Christ has redeemed her and secured her eternity, Rachel has an unshakable reason to give thanks, even as her body weakens.

For those in Christ, reconciled to God, there are always sufficient reasons to give thanks. Earthly blessings will eventually fade, but the eternal blessings of salvation are secure and everlasting. Every wrong will be made right in heaven, and nothing can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus. However, these promises are not automatic; they are received through faith in Jesus Christ, the only Savior who can redeem us from sin.

Therefore, the invitation stands: to receive Jesus as your personal Redeemer, to partake in these eternal blessings. God, by His Word and Spirit, awakens hearts to see that salvation is the greatest gift. Even when life tempts us toward discontentment, the reality of redemption restores our focus. The love of God compels us to gratitude, turning every opportunity to hear the gospel into a blessing itself.

[AI-generated notes from the sermon]