Give Thanks In Everything
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
When Paul wrote the words of today’s key verse, he was writing a letter to provide encouragement to believers who were enduring persecution. He did not want the believers then, and does not want us now, to allow what we’re going through to cause us to lose hope. For it is God’s will that even when life gets tough, we remain thankful.
Now, maybe you’re really struggling right now. Maybe you’re not sure how to be thankful because it seems like you’ve lost everything. You’ve been let go from your job. Money is tight. Relationships are strained, and life is overall pretty difficult right now. So you might be asking, “How am I supposed to be thankful for all of that?”
But what you need to take note of in Paul’s words is that he doesn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances. He says to give thanks “in” all circumstances. That’s a subtle yet significant distinction. God is not asking us to give thanks for all of the trails that we go through, but he is asking us to give thinks in the midst of the trial.
This is what Paul modeled for us so well throughout his life. We find him constantly throughout Scripture giving thanks despite his less than ideal circumstances. At one point he writes to the church at Philippi and says, “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). The irony of that statement is that Paul was in prison at the time, but he doesn’t let his negative situation impact his attitude or his gratitude.
Let’s all follow Paul’s lead and learn to be grateful in every circumstance. When you’re down, give thanks. When you’re broken, give thanks. When you’re disappointed, give thanks. Because giving thanks, Paul says, is God’s will for our lives. For when we are grateful, our attitude is transformed, and our focus is shifted beyond our circumstances. Let’s all practice being more thankful, and let’s see what it does to our perspective.
When Paul wrote the words of today’s key verse, he was writing a letter to provide encouragement to believers who were enduring persecution. He did not want the believers then, and does not want us now, to allow what we’re going through to cause us to lose hope. For it is God’s will that even when life gets tough, we remain thankful.
Now, maybe you’re really struggling right now. Maybe you’re not sure how to be thankful because it seems like you’ve lost everything. You’ve been let go from your job. Money is tight. Relationships are strained, and life is overall pretty difficult right now. So you might be asking, “How am I supposed to be thankful for all of that?”
But what you need to take note of in Paul’s words is that he doesn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances. He says to give thanks “in” all circumstances. That’s a subtle yet significant distinction. God is not asking us to give thanks for all of the trails that we go through, but he is asking us to give thinks in the midst of the trial.
This is what Paul modeled for us so well throughout his life. We find him constantly throughout Scripture giving thanks despite his less than ideal circumstances. At one point he writes to the church at Philippi and says, “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). The irony of that statement is that Paul was in prison at the time, but he doesn’t let his negative situation impact his attitude or his gratitude.
Let’s all follow Paul’s lead and learn to be grateful in every circumstance. When you’re down, give thanks. When you’re broken, give thanks. When you’re disappointed, give thanks. Because giving thanks, Paul says, is God’s will for our lives. For when we are grateful, our attitude is transformed, and our focus is shifted beyond our circumstances. Let’s all practice being more thankful, and let’s see what it does to our perspective.
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