As we approach Thanksgiving, we see more posts about giving thanks. My Facebook feed is filled with friends participating in the annual 30 Days of Thanks social media tradition. To participate, you choose one thing each day for which you are thankful. Then, beginning 30 days before Thanksgiving Day, you post about it on your social media pages. This is a good tradition and it certainly helps us all realize the blessings in our lives. Occasionally, or maybe more often than we want to admit, we see someone post something that we have taken for granted. Once in a while, I’ll think, “Oh wow. I didn’t think about that.” And then, there are the hard years, you know the ones. Sometimes we get to November with the weight of the world on our shoulders. With so much hurt and tiredness taking up so much space in our hearts, how do we express thankfulness? Sometimes it is hard, but God, in His Word, tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Giving Thanks In All Circumstances is God’s Will for Us in Christ Jesus
During this time of year, we like to quote 1 Thessalonians 5:18, but often times, we leave out the last part, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
When times are good, it is easy to concentrate on those first 5 favorite words, but what about the hard times? What about times of loss – loss of life, loss of jobs, loss of homes, loss of relationships, loss of financial stability, loss of reputation, loss of (you fill in the blanks). How do we give thanks during those times? The easy answer is “there is always something to be thankful for.”
It’s true. There is always something we can be thankful for and many of us could, if given a minute or two, come up with at least a small list of blessings even during our most difficult seasons. It’s not always that easy though, especially if we are going through particularly tough challenges. The good news is that God, in His Word, gives us a way to give thanks in all circumstances and He makes it clear in the Bible verse above that giving thanks in all circumstances is His will for us in Christ Jesus. He tells us more. Let’s back up just two verses.
Rejoice always. Pray continually.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
There we have it. God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 to rejoice always and pray continually. We can’t dwell on the hard stuff if we are in a constant state of rejoicing and prayer. The hard stuff is there. I’m not saying it will go away. God doesn’t always change our circumstances. I’m not saying it won’t hurt. Heartache hurts, but God can use our hurt. Someone once told me, “Don’t waste your pain.”
That quote stuck with me. Our pain can turn our hearts toward purpose. When God allows pain, we should let Him use our pain for His glory, for His purpose.
You might be thinking, “But how can we rejoice always and pray continually when life is so hard?” That answer is also in His Word. No matter how hard our circumstances, we will always find comfort in the Bible. One of my pastors from many years ago told us that the Bible is God’s love letter to us. All the answers, all the comfort, all the hope we need is found in the Bible. Let’s read all three of our focal verses together.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The next time life seems too hard to handle, remember that you can’t handle it alone. We aren’t expected to handle life’s struggles alone. We were created for relationship, first with God, and then with each other.
How Do We Give Thanks In All Circumstances?
Read God’s Word. [All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)]
Pray [Pray Continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)]
Rejoice [Rejoice Always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)]
Full Disclosure: My heart is not always in a state of constant rejoicing and prayer. Can any of us make that claim? This is something I am working on and I am definitely a work in progress. However, I can testify to this truth. When I am soaking up God’s Word, His love letter to me, to us, my heart settles and my mind quiets. The worries of the day fade as God’s living and active Word takes over the anxious spaces of my heart and mind.
In difficult circumstances, let’s learn to turn our focus to the Father and give thanks in all circumstances.
Living Abundantly in Him,
Tina
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