Give Thanks

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

There are certain aspects of the will of God that we can know with certainty. For instance, it is God’s will that we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord; it is His will that we should walk in love; it is His will that we treat each other kindly; it is His will that we forgive those who have offended us. Whenever Scripture tells us to do a thing, we can be certain that it is God’s will for us. In this passage, Paul tells us that it is the will of God that, “In everything we give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us.” Notice that He didn’t say, “In some things give thanks.…” He said “in everything.”

**If we are to give thanks in everything, we must understand some basic truths about God.

We must understand that God is in control of all of life’s circumstances, and that those circumstances are working for our good. And we must grasp the amazing fact that God loves us supremely. God doesn’t promise us that we are not going to suffer. He doesn’t promise that we won’t have pain in our lives, but we are told that in that suffering or pain, we are to give thanks—because God has allowed it. And if God has allowed it, we can trust He has a good purpose for it.

Father, help us to have the right perspective about pain, loss, disappointment, and all the other difficult circumstances that try to steal our faith. When those hard moments come, remind us, Lord, to give thanks. In Jesus’ name, amen.