1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Why does Scripture have to command gratitude—and what does a depressed prophet under a broom tree teach us about it?

A Simple Command We Struggle to Keep

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Point one: give thanks in and for everything. Let's close in prayer. It could be that simple—but of course I'm going to complicate it.

As I see it, this verse has three parts: give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, and for you. First, "in everything give thanks" seems simple. So why do we need a commandment for it? Throughout Scripture, when God gives us a commandment, two things are true: it's important, and we probably wouldn't do it without the command. That's why it has to be there.

Why Gratitude Doesn't Come Naturally

Very often we don't see a reason to give thanks, and several typical factors contribute. First, we take things for granted due to habituation. Because it's always been that way, we don't think about it. When the food shows up on the plate every day, or the clean clothes are always there, we forget to be thankful. God bless my wife.

Second, a comparison mindset, where we focus on what others have. Want to see this in real life? Dish ice cream for your kids and make one bowl noticeably smaller. That child won't be thankful for the ice cream—they'll be upset someone got more. (Pro tip: the person who scoops the ice cream chooses their bowl last. You've never seen more scientific disbursement of ice cream in your life. Use their own little sinful hearts against them.)

Third, perfectionism emphasizes what's lacking. In my notes I wrote, "stupid house is falling apart." This year we did the roof—a huge blessing at a reasonable cost. Then the air conditioning went out. Then the dryer died, and I thought, "Lord, what are you doing to me?" Instead of being thankful for all I do have, I focus on what fell short. Fourth, we feel entitled to the good things—"I worked hard, I honored the Lord, why am I having difficulty?"

As I made this list, I chuckled, because most of these sound like ad campaigns: don't want the same old thing, get something new; your neighbor got a new Toyota; this stupid car, let's get rid of it; you deserve a break today.

Depression and Anxiety Cloud How We Perceive Our Life

There's one more particular reason we struggle to give thanks, and we hear about it this time of year: depression and anxiety cloud how we perceive our life. The statistics on people struggling with depression and anxiety have skyrocketed over recent years, especially among young people. Without being hyperbolic, we are hitting epidemic proportions among the young. To explore this, let's turn to 1 Kings 19.

Elijah's Greatest Success—Then the Fall

Elijah is the prototypical prophet of the Old Testament—the prophet's prophet. Just before chapter 19 he has one of his greatest successes. Israel was failing to avoid idols; Baal had a huge following. So Elijah sets up a prophet-off on Mount Carmel: my altar, your altar, and whoever's God lights the fire is God.

The prophets of Baal go first. They cry out, and Elijah lets them go, then taunts them—maybe Baal is hard of hearing, or busy, or indisposed; yell louder. All day they scream and cut themselves until blood gushes over the altar. Then Elijah builds his altar, has them drench the sacrifice, wood, and altar with water until the surrounding ditch is full. He simply prays, "Lord, light it up." Fire falls, consuming the sacrifice, wood, and even the water. Israel says, "God is God," and the 450 prophets of Baal are killed that day. If you're Elijah, that's a good day. Revival is brewing.

Then chapter 19 opens:

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done... Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Ahab is the king, and he's bad; Jezebel is the queen, and she's worse. Elijah gets this message of doom, and it all falls apart in his mind. He becomes terrified, and:

When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

He acts on the intrusive message of doom, and begins to isolate himself, leaving his servant behind.

The Pattern of the Downward Spiral

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness... and prayed that he might die, and said, It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.

He distances himself from everyone he knows. He's a day's journey into the wilderness, marinating on one intrusive thought—I'm going to die, I'm better off dead—engaging in destructive self-talk that produces a lack of hope, engagement, and energy.

Here's Elijah's pattern of destruction: a success, then a lull where things look bleaker, then a message of doom, then acting on it, then isolation, then destructive self-talk, and the downward spiral into a dark tunnel with no end in sight. If you've struggled with depression, this sounds eerily familiar. The thought starts, you grab hold of it, everything looks dark, and the tunnel goes on so far you can't see the light at the end.

God Triages Elijah

Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat... So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you... and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

This is God triaging Elijah. He starts with contact from another—the angel reaches out. Then proper nutrition and hydration (Ben and Jerry's does not qualify). Then sleep. The pattern of basic self-care happens at least twice. The angel has realistic expectations—not "everything's fine," but "this journey will be too long for you." Then a 40-day journey: exercise, plus a location and routine change.

A location or routine change is one of the most powerful interventions for depression and addiction. They studied this in Vietnam. Soldiers were using heroin heavily—it can't be smelled like marijuana—and the army feared they'd come home as raving addicts. So they followed these men back to the States. The change in location and routine was so drastic that less than a percent—I believe about 0.2%—kept using heroin once home. If you're struggling and always go to the same coffee shop and order the same thing, change it up. Drive a different way to work. These little changes help break us out.

"What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?"

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?

God speaks at the appropriate time and asks a question designed for self-reflection. Elijah's response is telling:

I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts... I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.

He starts with "I've done the right thing," acknowledging no part of his own situation. He exaggerates his circumstances to make his behavior seem legitimate, then expresses isolation and a complete lack of hope—there's no one else, I'm all alone.

The Still Small Voice

Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains... but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Notice Elijah hasn't moved. Scripture records no response from him during the rock-breaking wind, the earthquake, or the fire—all things that would normally make us react. The thing that broke through was a still small voice. God wasn't in the destruction. And Scripture doesn't tell us what that voice said—it's a personal message for Elijah. That gives me hope, because it means God personally cares about us and responds to each of us in a way that is personal.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle... What are you doing here, Elijah?

He wraps his mantle—his symbol of authority—around his face, because he knows he cannot look upon God, and he moves toward the entrance of the cave, toward God. And God asks the exact same question. Having heard the voice of God, surely Elijah's answer is different now? No—he gives the identical response: I've been faithful, nobody else has, they're coming for me, I alone am left.

Notice the subtext: "I did what you asked and it hasn't worked." In effect, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" We know from what God says next that this isn't true—Elijah is seeing it wrongly. But notice what God doesn't do. He doesn't berate Elijah, lose His temper, or tell him to get over it. He simply responds with instructions. He's so much better than we are.

God's Gentle Answer: Justice, a Companion, and Hope

Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus... anoint Hazael as king over Syria... Jehu... as king over Israel... and Elisha... you shall anoint as prophet in your place... Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal.

In God's response we see several things. He assures Elijah that those doing wrong will be judged—justice will come. We don't always get to see justice; sometimes we ache for it and never witness it. Justice belongs to God, and our trust belongs in Him.

He also gives Elijah a friend, a successor, and an exit. Elisha will take up the mantle—his Padawan, if you will—which means Elijah will have an opportunity to be done. There is hope; there is an exit. And he is not alone: 7,000 have not bowed to Baal. His work is not in vain, his purpose has not changed, and God has not discarded him but has ministered to him and sent him out again. It is comfort and gentle correction at the same time.

God's Commands Are for Our Good

What does all this have to do with thankfulness? Back to 1 Thessalonians 5:18: it is God's will in Christ Jesus that we be thankful. We know God's commands are for our benefit, and here He tells us so. Point: God wants us to be thankful in everything for our benefit. This is proven over and over in Scripture and in our own experience.

In this case we even have scientific evidence that gratitude is protective against depression. Gratitude has direct effects: it counters negative thought patterns, increases positive emotion and life satisfaction, builds psychological resilience, enhances self-worth, and reduces feelings of hopelessness.

It has social benefits that buffer depression. It strengthens social connections—it's hard to stay distant from someone who tells you, "Thanks, that really meant something to me." It increases perceived social support, reduces isolation, encourages help-seeking, and improves relationship quality.

And there are neurobiological impacts. Gratitude boosts dopamine and serotonin—God's feel-good chemicals. (That's why He made baby animals and humans with oversized heads and eyes, so we look and go, "Aww.") It reduces the stress hormone cortisol, activates reward pathways, improves sleep, and may increase neuroplasticity. The same things happen through prayer and worship—the brain's pathways are reshaped as we show gratitude. It also promotes healthy coping, more exercise, more social engagement, and better self-care. Gratitude is like a wonder drug without the drug.

How to Build Gratitude Into Your Life

There are evidence-based gratitude practices studied specifically for depression. The three good things exercise: write down three good things that happened that day, note why they happened, and reflect on your own role in them. Do it right before bed—far better than scrolling your phone, which none of us do, right? Studies show this can change your mood within weeks.

Gratitude letter writing: not the obligatory "thanks, Grandma" note, but detailed thank-you letters focused on underappreciated people, describing the specific impact they had. They say it can be delivered or kept private—but keeping it private seems like the biggest cop-out in the world, so just deliver it. This boosts mood for weeks.

The granddaddy is a gratitude visit: write a letter of appreciation and read it in person to the recipient. This is a particularly powerful intervention—effects can last one to three months. Imagine doing this once a month, four times a year, and changing your mood for the whole year.

You can also do a morning gratitude meditation—make it part of your prayers, being specific. They knew what they were doing with that little song, "Count your many blessings, count them one by one." And gratitude reframing: take a negative thought and find a grateful perspective. When my air conditioner died, I could note that it was installed in 1973—it was 50 years old, a year younger than I am, and God kept it running until replacing it was inconvenient but not ruinous. "Thank you, Lord." Reframing turns a burden into a blessing.

It Is God's Will for You

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In case we missed it, the Holy Spirit had Paul write it again. "In every situation"—especially those that cause anxiety or trigger depression—with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Point three: we know it is God's will for us to be thankful. "God, what's your will for me today?" Be thankful. "No, but really?" Be thankful. That's what I want from you.

We've seen what hinders gratitude, depression in particular, and ways to increase it. If only there were a day where our whole family could gather, share a big meal, rejoice, and express gratitude to one another—we could call it Thanksgiving. In a couple of days we have exactly that opportunity to live out God's will. Let's not waste it. Let's celebrate the heck out of it.

The Gift That Makes All Others Possible

Giving thanks requires acknowledging that something was done for us. The most important thing we have to give thanks for was done on a wooden cross two thousand years ago, where the sinless Son of God offered Himself as payment for our sin. Our sin requires death—we've earned it. But our debt was paid when God sent His sinless Son to die on our behalf, a freedom that becomes ours when we believe Jesus is the Son of God, was sacrificed for us, rose again, and now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.

So when we fail and fall short, Jesus is there saying, "No, no, I covered that." When everything looks dark and there's no light at the end of the tunnel, He says, "They're Mine, I've got them." As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let's remember the gift that makes all the others possible. If you haven't put your hope and trust in Jesus yet, you can do so today. It doesn't have to be another Thanksgiving where you carry your own sin. Jesus wants to take it from you. We would love to join you in thanking God for His most precious gift.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, there are so many things, Lord God, that we allow to keep us from being thankful—so many things we participate in that decrease our thankfulness. Our selfishness often pulls us out of the way. Sometimes we struggle with things we feel like we shouldn't, and sometimes it feels like we can't get away from it. And yet You love us. You watch out for us. You minister to us. You save us. And on top of that, You sit at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for the freedom. Thank You for paying our debt. And thank You for giving us the power to follow what You call us to do, to keep Your commandments. Lord, help us to be thankful. Help us to reach out to the people around us and let them know what a gift You are. In Jesus' name, amen.