Thanks-Living: Why 5:18?
So many profound single verses from the Bible resound in our souls like a divine mic drop. We highlight, underline, memorize, and even sign these scriptural Mount Everests by our names. Yet how often do we miss the rich depths of their meanings?
First Thessalonians 5:18 is certainly one of these “one-verse wonders” that deserve a closer look. What if you found out that it meant a lot more, or even meant something completely different, than you always thought?
Studying it forced me to slow down and take in the full flavor of its meaning and place in God’s Word. I’ve seen the 35,000-foot view for so many years. Yet all this time, I had no idea of the satisfying spiritual nutrients found in this amazing verse.
A Life of Gratitude Begins With the Gospel
The central focus of this verse is the gospel—the good news of what God has done for us, in Christ. We can celebrate the perfect life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Apart from His giving, there is no cause for thanksgiving.
Giving Thanks to God Beyond Thanksgiving Day
For too long, we’ve relegated the practice of thanksgiving to a holiday unobtrusively stuck between Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving was actually the first federal holiday declared in the United States. On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789, as an official holiday of “sincere and humble thanks.” This day was not set apart for the people to make requests and petitions of God for our young nation with all kinds of issues. It was not to be a day of getting more from the Divine.
In fact, Abraham Lincoln’s decision to declare the fourth Thursday in November as the first annual federal holiday for Thanksgiving was during the Civil War – an important example of giving thanks during difficulties! Our founders saw the great need to give more thanks to God—and eventually they changed the entire calendar with this focus.
Thanksgiving Is More Than a Holiday
Thanksgiving is so much more than a feast we indulge in, the one day of the year we kick our diets to the curb. Trust me, no one loves Mama’s homemade sweet potato casserole more than I do! But what about the far more satisfying and eternal “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) component to Thanksgiving? The “one-verse wonder” of 5:18 really is a “one-verse feast.” So why wait until Thursday night when the food coma finally lifts? Let’s redeem the Thanksgiving table all day and all year long!2
Making Thanksgiving a Life of Gratitude
Take time to discover the richness of thanksgiving as a way of life—not just as a yearly holiday. Through a closer look at God’s Word, you’ll taste the intricate flavors of thankfulness, its source, and the joy it brings to our lives.
2. Jamal, a faithful member from our Wednesday in the Word men’s group, blessed me with a Thanksgiving necktie last year. Yes, it’s attracted some strange looks and comments in July and September. But the more I’ve studied 5:18, the more emboldened I’ve felt to wear it at random times of the year, not just in November. Thank you, Jamal!
Adapted from Thanks-Living: Embracing the Power of Gratitude Every Day by Stu Epperson Jr. (©2026). Published by Moody Publishers. Used with permission.
