Thankful in all things, not just good things

I Thes 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

In Christ, we are called to be thankful in everything. It is very common to read this verse and NOT allow the implications of it to sink in. I think when we read this, it is easy for us to do some metal shifting and interpret it as “In everything worthy of thanks, give thanks”.

In that sense, as long as we say “thank you” when it is appropriate, send thank you cards to those who have done nice things for us, and offer adequate gratuity on those occasions that warrant it, we think that we are being properly thankful as Christians.

The truth is, Paul means exactly what he wrote. God expects us to learn thankfulness in all things. How can that be?

Because from the time we enter new life in Jesus Christ, we have entered a place where our circumstances can no longer dictate our well being. Our thankfulness begins and ends with a risen Savior who has the victory (I Cor 15:57), and brings us abundance (John 10:10), and never leaves nor forsakes us (Heb 13:5), and does exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph 3:20). When we find that our ability to be thankful is limited by how we feel about what’s happening to us, then it is a sure indicator that we are not walking with Jesus as we should be. On

the other hand, when we ARE able to count it all joy, and we are able to be content, and we are able to be thankful in all things, it means that we are journeying hand and hand with our beloved Jesus who not only sustains through the days, but is also coming back for us again.

In Faith Unfeigned

RIch