while today

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB95)

Are you able to give thanks in everything?  I’m sure this is something we can all grow in.  We need to learn to be thankful in all circumstances—whether life is good or life is hard, because this is God’s will for us.  The truth is, no matter what is going on in our lives there are always many reasons to be thankful.

I suppose it is easier to give thanks when times are good, but we need to be intentional about it.  When life is rolling along gently and easily, we can tend to take our blessings for granted.  We somehow still find reasons to complain.  We sometimes lose perspective on how easy our lives are compared to what so many others face in this world.  And sometimes, when God brings a tremendous blessing into our lives or graciously answers our prayers, we forget to thank Him.  We can so easily become like the nine leppers who forgot (or didn’t care to) thank Jesus for healing them.

What about when life is hard?  Are there still reasons to give thanks to God?  When we face difficulties, we tend to focus on our problems and forget that there are still blessings abounding in our lives.  We forget that there are still many things going right.  There are even reasons to be thankful for the trials themselves because God has promised, if we will keep looking to Him in trusting faith, that the trials will turn out for our benefit.  The trials of life purify and refine us.  They help us to grow in perseverance, character, and hope.  And so, even when things are very hard, we can give thanks to God. 

And it’s important to remember that no matter what happens, we can always give thanks to God for our salvation in Jesus Christ.  We can always give thanks for our eternal home reserved for us in heaven.  We can always give thanks that we can call God our Father and that He loves us as His children.  We can always give thanks that our sins are forgiven.  We can always give thanks that the Father and His Son dwell in our hearts through the Spirit who was given to us. 

Let’s give thanks in everything.  This is God’s will for us.

—Scott Colvin