Have you ever come across a passage in the Bible and wondered, “Could God really mean that?”  Like, “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), or “let love be without hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9), or “Children obey your parents” (Ephesians 6:9), or how about “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).  Does God really mean what he says?  Well either He means what He says in these undisputed passages or we can’t trust him with passages pertinent to salvation, heaven or hell!  Here is another passage:

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

This is a tough one!  One, I am still learning.

“You mean I’m suppose to give thanks if…

  • my marriage is falling apart?
  • my bank account is zapped?
  • I’m constantly chomping at the bits with the dead-heads I work with?
  • people are spreading false rumors about me??

…there is no “except” in the passage.

Let’s look at the passage carefully:

“give thanks” – in the original language this is a present imperative, simply meaning this is a command to make it a habit to give thanks.  The work “thanks” means to show gratitude.  In other words friends, this is a mandated lifestyle of a believer, even if I don’t feel like it.

We need to make this a part of our worship experience.  It should be evident in our family life:  children thankful for their parents,  parents thankful for their children, husband grateful for his wife, wife thankful for her husband.  We should be thankful for our jobs.  If I take this passage for face value it means I should be thankful even if I have abusive, negligent parents, children who are walking terrors, a wife that nags and complains, a husband that takes advantage of me, and a boss who always ridicules my work.

This is about giving thanks in spite of our feelings.  It seems we feel we have to have a bubbling brook of gratitude in our soul if we are to be genuinely thankful.  However, that is not the case.  We to be obedient:  give thanks in everything!

So how is this possible?  Giving thanks is based on God’s perfect wisdom.  God understands how an attitude of gratitude can influence our lives and those around us.  There are three things that are true when we choose to give thanks.  It is a choice:

  1. It keeps us aware of God’s presence as we sense our helplessness. We are not alone!  He is with us! Our problems are His too!!
  2. We are more sensitive to His work of redemption in the midst of our trials. We have His help, His presence, we can bring our troubles to Him.  He is there to listen, comfort, and strengthen us.
  3. We’re motivated to seek His purpose for our problems. We may not realize why we are having troubles and trials in the next day or two.  It may be months or years.  But we must trust Him that He has a purpose and He will show us one day.  God delights in us trusting Him!!  He gets the glory for it!!

Giving thanks because God is working out His plan in our lives.  Nothing can thwart His plan.  Recall the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery and he later told his brothers, the perpetrators, “You meant it for evil, God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

God is bending our will toward His will.  His will is best for our lives.  As we learn submission, we are demonstrating our faith in and to God’s Word.  This helps our will mesh with His!

We are also reminded of His sufficiency. We completely depend on Him as He alone can deliver us from our troubles.

As we give thanks we are recognizing and affirming His control.  Our times, our successes and our failures are all in His hand–within His master plan.

Finally, giving thanks strengthens our trust in God.  It is the most difficult when we don’t understand the reasons for our pain and affliction.  It does become the highest expression of trust when we don’t have the answers.  Let’s stand firm in our faith.  He will hear and help in His time.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV)

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble (Psalm 107:1-2 ESV)