Skip to main content

Give Thanks

 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (I Thessalonians 5:18)

          Yes, we’re just a few days from Thanksgiving, so I’m finally going to turn to that topic, and when someone else posted a meme with this verse, I knew it was the verse for the day. As I looked at it, however, my reaction is “Yikes!” We sometimes have people say, “I don’t know what God’s will is for my life.” According to this passage, God’s will for your life and mine is for us to give thanks in all circumstances. All circumstances. All. In

Lost jobs               Damaged economies       Pandemics            Lockdowns

Masks                  Riots                              Looting                 Racial unrest

Verbal assaults      Corrupt elections            Power-grabs          Obesity

Not knowing what God’s will is                   Not liking what God’s will is

Weak muscles       Deaths of loved ones       Birth defects          Failing memories

Mental illness       Cruelty                           Gentleness            Insecurity

Anxiety                Poverty                          Wealth                  Failure

Injury                   Health                            Sickness               Marriage

Singleness            Lack of knowhow           Burden                 Responsibilities

Rights                   Hope                              Sorrow                 Huricanes

Tropical Storms    Wildfires                        Snow                    Cold

Heat                     Boredom                        Overwhelmedness Sleeplessness

Tiredness              Muscle aches                  Heartaches            Bad jobs

Feel free to add your own…

          If we are not giving thanks, we are not doing God’s will. And, looking at the verse a little more closely, it doesn’t say, “Giving thanks to God in all circumstances.” I’m not suggesting that we should seek pain, but be thankful in it, even to those who cause it. The verse also doesn’t say we should be thankful for all circumstances, but in all circumstances.

          So here’s a good exercise for each of us. Pick two of the worst, hardest thing in the list above (or hard things that aren’t on the list that are specific to you. Pick one positive thing. Spend a few minutes thanking God in those hard things, and for the good things, too. Or, if the bad things are too hard, ask Him to show you the good in them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more