We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays in one of my favorite times of year (autumn). Interestingly, Thanksgiving is probably the least-marketed holiday of the “big holidays” that we celebrate. There are few (if any) songs written for Thanksgiving. There aren’t any cult-classic Thanksgiving movies being watched every year by families across the country. In our culture, Thanksgiving seems to get lost between Halloween and Christmas. What does Thanksgiving have? It has a parade, football on tv, pumpkin pie, and turkey (and hopefully a lot of other food too!!).
In some ways, it feels as though Thanksgiving is nothing more than a springboard to Christmas. It serves a purpose of letting everyone know when it’s acceptable to put up Christmas decorations and shop for great deals on presents.
Paul, in his opening words of 2 Thessalonians, says that they “ought to give thanks to God for you.” The “we” is Paul and his team (Timothy and Silas).* They had been investing in the Church in Thessalonica, and their investments were paying off. Meaning, their desires expressed in 1 Thessalonians were coming to pass.* The church there was actually loving one another, and no one was being left out.* The church was growing in faith despite persecution and times of division.* It was no small thing.
Paul’s “ought” should not be taken as an obligation, however.* Scholars struggle to interpret the Greek well into english here because Paul isn’t communicating that thanksgiving must come from a place of compulsion. He is communicating that the thanksgiving that they express is fitting and necessary.* Because their prayers are being answered and their investment into the church is bearing fruit, they have no choice but to be thankful to God. It’s too exciting and wonderful not to!
Leon Morris shares,
What makes a person happy? Money? Beauty? Popularity? Such things may bring temporary pleasure but not long-lasting happiness. Unfortunately, our culture too often defines happiness by the rolling tide of circumstances that flow in and out of our lives: when we prosper materially, we are happy, and when we do not, we are unhappy. Even many in the church believe that faithfulness to God brings a reward of material blessings and happiness and that God withholds blessings in response to unbelief. But is happiness a pleasure arising primarily from good material circumstances? Paul tells Christians in 1:3–12 what should ultimately drive them and give them pleasure and happiness. What motivates believers is also that for which they should be thankful. At the least, 1:3–4 (and possibly 1:3–9) provide the basis of the initial thanksgiving at the beginning of 1:3. If we can plumb the depths of the basis for this thanksgiving, we will uncover the root cause of right and good passions.
Too often in our consumer-materialistic culture, we can find ourselves wearing glasses that see what we do not have and what God is not doing. In reality, each of us has much, and God has done much in our lives. When we truly look at what God has done to answer our prayers (for a spouse, for food, for love, for friends, for jobs, for a good community, salvation of a friend, healing from a sickness, Jesus Christ, etc), we will have no choice but to be thankful to God. It will be fitting. This thanksgiving does not mean that our problems disappear, we minimize our difficulties, or pretend that everything is fine. No, Paul still underwent difficult times, but somehow he held onto gratitude despite the very real hardship that he endured.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to examine what God has done in your life. Perhaps today God wants you to count your blessings. Maybe today God wants you to redefine your source of happiness. Perhaps today He wants you to be thankful for something eternal that He has done in your heart or in the heart of someone you love.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 211–212). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 243–245). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 278–280). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 506–507). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 115–116). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 181–182). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 447–453). Baker Academic.