Giving Thanks in Everything

As it turns out God actually wants us to thank him for the good as well as the bad. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are exhorted, "In everything, give thanks." Rather than tell us, you should give thanks for the blessings and times of joy, he commands us to give thanks in EVERYTHING. In the good times, give thanks. In the bad times, give thanks. Did you recently lose your job, foreclose on your home, total your car? GIVE THANKS!

That makes no sense. Why would a good God want us to thank him when things don't go as planned? Why would he want me to thank Him when I am hurting and alone? How could he expect me to have the strength to thank Him when He allowed this to happen? He doesn't know how I feel? The truth is that He does know. Do you realize that when he sent his son to die on that cross for us, he took upon himself all of our sins and infirmities? He nailed them to the cross for you and for me while we were still his enemies. Romans 5:8 puts it this way, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I admit that as of very recently it had become increasingly difficult to give thanks. I found that I was much more prone to identify areas of discontentment and thus focused on those things that I did not enjoy or like to do rather than simply obey what God wanted of me. Yet he always has a way of reminding me ever so gently, "Indy, do everything without complaining (Philippians 2:14). Do it as if you were doing it for me (Colossians 3:23)."

I don't know where you stand at this very moment but I would like to encourage you to thank God for the trials in your life. Thank Him for the pain and the suffering. Know that He can be trusted and He is good on His word.

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² 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. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ 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.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

-Romans 5:1-10