Give thanks… in ALL circumstances?
Give thanks…
in ALL circumstances?
To Give Thanks: to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to someone or something by acknowledging benefits, favors, or kindness received. It can be a verbal expression or an act of worship and thankfulness for blessings.
Each year, as we come upon the Thanksgiving season, it is often more of a preamble to all the Christmas festivities which will soon follow. The actual purpose of the holiday, Thanks – giving, is many times lost in the merrymaking…the turkey and stuffing and candied yams; the football games, either played with siblings and cousins on the lawn “football field”, or those of us gathered around the television cheering on our favorite team (Go Pack Go!). Now, none of these things are wrong, in fact, for many families it is a rare opportunity to spend quality time together, to bond or catch up, to be thankful for the gift of family and friends when the rest of the year leaves little time for such gatherings.
But where or when does the thankfulness part happen? What if it has been a rough year and the only thing to be thankful for is making it this far. Or maybe we have been wallowing in a spirit of discontent, complaining and grumbling over unmet expectations, lack of finances, political discord, family squabbles, parent/child challenges, or whatever else you would like to add to the list. Because of our sin nature we don’t have to look far to find something to complain about. In these situations, when we come up on a holiday that tells us we should be grateful and thankful, we genuinely have a difficult time finding ways to be thankful.
Yet, giving thanks isn’t just about a holiday to force feed turkey and thankfulness down our throats. Rather, thankfulness should be a daily attitude. And yes, giving thanks in all circumstances. When we practice thankfulness on a daily basis, there is a greater possibility we will trust God’s sovereign plan even in the midst of the yucky or hard stuff, and to do so with a grateful heart.
Once we make gratefulness a daily habit, then on the days we purposefully gather to give thanks, we can go a little deeper than the usual answers. We should always be thankful for, and never take for granted the roof over our head, food on the table, or the love of family and friends. I encourage you this year to meditate, outside the box, on the blessings which had a significant impact on your life, where you may not have fully acknowledged your gratefulness to God or to others. Whether they be simple or grand gestures, such as an answer a seemingly trivial prayer, God’s strength that helped you make it through a difficult financial or medical crisis, or the comfort and compassion of friends after a broken relationship or loss of a loved one; these are all situations that can either be impossible difficulties, or they can be possible opportunities for how God shows us His grace or a way of displaying His steadfast faithfulness to others.
The following are excerpts from the chapters on finding joy through trials in my book The Road We Walk On: Navigating Life with Joy
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Paul was a remarkable man who, by example, lived a life of joy regardless of the circumstances. His journey on this earth took some very unusual twists and turns, yet he never wavered in his pursuit of sharing the Gospel with joy and eagerness.
Before his conversion he no doubt knew what a life of affluence and wealth was like. He hobnobbed with the wealthiest of the priest and Pharisees and was quite powerful and influential in his own right. Yet once he found redemption in Christ, that is when he experienced true joy, despite being imprisoned on numerous occasions, caught in a vicious storm, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, run out of town after town, bitten by vipers, and hated by his former associates.
Paul came to understand the difficulties we face in life are all a part of God’s plan and we can rejoice in them because they bring growth. Remember the verse from Romans—"suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Then verse 5 reminds us that “hope does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, the One having been given to us” (Romans 5:5, Berean Literal Bible). In our suffering, God gives us hope, which is a reason to rejoice.
Paul also knew the importance of having a grateful heart and expressing his gratefulness to God. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Even if life is hard, we still have plenty of reasons to be thankful and grateful for all of God’s promises and gifts He has bestowed up us.
God created a marvelous world for us to live in, and He has given us salvation through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins. He has given us His Word for instruction and encouragement, and He has given us the guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit. We have no excuse but to walk the road with grateful hearts. I try to practice a heart of thankfulness each day, expressing my gratitude toward God when I rise in the morning and before I go to sleep. I have discovered experiencing joy comes much easier to me when I also express gratefulness even for the small things.
“Behold God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth” (Isaiah 12:2-5).
In order to experience joy instead of frustration, discouragement, or anger, there are steps we can take:
Acknowledge God’s sovereignty; He is in control:
“The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
“I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
Remember God’s unfailing love for us and His faithfulness:
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Give our burdens to God; as Christians, they are His to bear:
“Praise be to the LORD, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19).
“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Bring your requests before God with a thankful and rejoicing heart despite the circumstances:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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” (Philippians 4:4-7).
Sometimes we need to wait patiently for the answer, but God will always answer:
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD”" (Psalm 27:14).
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7).
Look forward to the hope of God’s deliverance:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2).
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer…” (Romans 12:12).
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5:3-4).
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).
Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 6 not to worry or be anxious about the future and reminds them to seek after and focus on the Kingdom that is in the here and now. He tells them, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).” Daily we are faced with circumstances that can be seen as either a difficulty or an opportunity, it is all a matter of perspective, both of heart and mind. Hope and pessimism cannot coexist.
The choice is ours–will we be a pessimist and allow the difficulties of this world to bring sorrow and discouragement? Or will we be an optimist, recognizing God’s sovereignty, and find joy despite the circumstances? Joy begins on our knees. As we are faithful in prayer, confessing, worshiping, and trusting, God is faithful to guide and direct us and bring us through every difficulty, with hope and a joyful heart.
“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears…. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:1-4, 17-18).
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Can we give thanks in all circumstances? According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 we should.
Will it come to us easily? Probably not at first, but God does not promise easy. What He does promise is to be our refuge and strength and shield (Psalm 46:1; Psalm 28:7), to keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3) and to give us hope because of His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-24).
God is worthy of our gratitude and thankfulness all the time (Philippians 4:4)
Lastly, ask yourself, what blessing is God trying to show you or teach you through your circumstances? For me, I might not have learned the lessons He was teaching me without trials.
Lord, help me to be obedient and grateful, and to give thanks in all circumstances.