“Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV)
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According
to the above Scripture, what are we to give thanks for? EVERYTHING!
With all that is happening in the world today, it is hard to be
thankful—loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, loss of homes, and loss of financial
security—yet that is exactly the perspective our Lord desires us to demonstrate
as His children.
Listening
to the news can make it hard to be thankful—wars and rumors of war, terrorism,
suppression of basic human rights, refugees seeking a safe place, squelching
freedom of speech—yet we are beseeched throughout the Scriptures, especially in
the New Testament, to be thankful no matter what.
We
see this attitude of thankfulness—rejoicing in suffering—for the name of Jesus in
various places in the Scriptures, Acts, in particular demonstrates this. How do we feel (or will we feel) in suffering
for the name of Jesus?
It
is important to note that we are to be thankful in all things not for all
things. Realizing this makes (or should make) a huge difference!
The
choice is ours as to how we will respond to the crises that come our way. Will we get bitter? Complain to anyone who
will listen?
Or
will we demonstrate a peace, a thankfulness that is different than what the
world would expect?
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Have you
ever met anyone who was able to be thankful no matter what?
He or she
could be going through a very rough time—facing many losses, yet he or she was
still thankful. Perhaps, others looking
at his or her life would think, “How does he or she do it?” “If I was going through that, I would not be
able to go on—life just would not be worth the effort.”
What do you
suppose allowed them to have that type of attitude?
One of my
master’s thesis participants (who is also a dear friend) is able to do just
that. She is thankful for what she has
everyday—she spends time talking with God about it too. Why is she able to do this? I believe it is her relationship with and
dependence on God (Ephesians 5:20).
Cultivating this attitude is life changing. Try it for yourself! I imagine that you will find that it changes
how you see and react to the world.
The
apostle Paul learned how to be content in any and all situations (read the book
of Philippians [a book full of joy and thankfulness] in the New Testament to
see this attitude in action)—it was written from prison when Paul was near the
end of his earthly life; he looked beyond his present circumstances to the
future that awaited him in heaven.
What
do we have to gain by doing this? From
my perspective, we have much to gain—more than we can begin to realize. It may not change our situation; however, it
will change how we view and respond to our situation. Those around us will notice the difference
and wonder what is going on. What a
testimony we can share with those who are going through their own difficulties
and challenges!
How
are you doing when it comes to being thankful?
Please join
with me in prayer:
God of all
comfort, we admit that it is difficult to be thankful for all things, particularly when crises or suffering come that knock
us off balance. Help us to choose to be
thankful for the bad and good in our lives.
Draw us so close to You that we depend fully on You. Nudge us with reminders to pray
continually. Teach us to have joy and
thankfulness despite what is going on in our lives. May we desire to be thankful always no matter
what the circumstances life brings our way, using Paul and others as our
examples. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
From My
Heart to Yours,
Kim
To be thankful in all things, not for all things - what a difference a preposition can make, Kim! I believe strongly that being thankful to God makes this life so much happier and healthier. I do give Him thanks every day.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, a preposition can make such a huge difference! Thankfulness really does make a difference. When it comes to being thankful, I'm still a work in progress.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hi Kim! I know when my husband lost his job (again) a few years ago, I just didn't understand why it keeps happening? And he is still not employed in his field. It took me a LONG time to make peace with our situation.
ReplyDeleteNow I can be thankful for the fact that he was home when I broke my leg. That he was present when my mom died, and when his mom died too. God has reasons, and I may not understand them. So I have to be thankful right through the hard stuff...becuse maybe someday I'll be able to thank him for what seems so dark.
Blessings,
Ceil
Hi Ceil! Job loss is so traumatizing to families (not to mention the person who has lost a job). Not being employed in one's field is miserable and can be downright horrible.
DeleteI'm sorry you and your husband are going through this. However, I'm glad he was available when you broke your leg and when you moms died.
Sometimes, it is in looking back that we see how the dark times were a blessing in disguise.
Blessings!
Kim