Give Thanks in All Circumstances

I just got home from visiting my family in Minnesota!  It was very nice and I enjoyed it a lot.

While I was there, my family gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving, and it got me thinking about the meaning of Thanksgiving.

How come we only celebrate our thankfulness one day/timeframe of the year?  And even when we’re all together as a family eating food and enjoying each other, we sometimes just forget about being thankful.

That’s just…unsettling.  I am totally guilty of this at times, as I know you have been at some point in your life too (we all have).  However, being thankful is something we ought to do EVERY DAY of our lives. No matter what is happening in your life, you can always find something to be thankful for.

Romans 8:28 says,

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

If that’s true (and I assure you, it is), then shouldn’t we always give thanks?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,

“Be joyful always.  Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I guess that answers my question.

Notice it doesn’t say “give thanks in convenient circumstances,” or “give thanks in good and happy circumstances.”  It says, “give thanks in ALL circumstances” [emphasis added].

All – meaning the good, bad, painful, anxious, happy, joyful, ugly, horrible, convenient, etc.  

ALL.

That poses the question…How?  How are we supposed to do this?  You know as well as I that this task is oftentimes nearly impossible.

You’re probably familiar with Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Sigh.  That’s such a beautiful verse!  Makes you feel like you can conquer giants, doesn’t it?  The thing is, most people know that verse, but they don’t know the verse before it, Philippians 4:12:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation [all circumstances], whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

And THEN verse 13 comes in – “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Also, notice Paul (who wrote the book of Philippians) doesn’t say he can do all things by himself.  He says “I can do all things through Christ” [emphasis added].  This is important because it answers our earlier question.

We, on our own, do NOT have the ability to be thankful in all circumstances.  We can’t be continuously thankful on our own.

The good news is, Jesus is able to give us the strength (if we trust in him) to be thankful in all circumstances.  Trust in his power, and ask him to give you a thankful heart in all things.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us how:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It would appear that Jesus is ready and willing to fill us with thanksgiving.  We just need to be willing to trust him and ask him for it.

As I’ve written about before, do your absolute best, and trust God with the rest.

 

Until next time,

Hope Frances

 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash