“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
