Give Thanks in Everything

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul writes, "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (v18). 

It's easy to give thanks for everything when life is going well -- when your health is good, and your relationships are thriving. When your career is soaring, and there's extra money in the bank. When there's food on the table, a roof over your head, and margin in your schedule. And hopefully, on this day when we give thanks, that is the case for you. 

But what if it's not? 

What if you're mourning the recent loss of a loved one? What if you just got laid off, and you're wondering how you'll buy Christmas gifts for your kids? What if you're struggling through a hard season of marriage, and there's very little joy to go around? 

You might be thinking to yourself, "Am I supposed to give thanks for that?"

I'm not sure Paul's instructions in 1 Thessalonians are to give thanks because of your circumstances, whether good or bad. We don't give thanks because we are working through a hard season. But rather, we give thanks in the middle of the difficulty because it brings perspective.

Often, when going through a season of trials, it's easy to only focus on the hardship, which is natural, because it's probably the most tangible thing in your life. But when you're able to lift your head above the horizon, there's a good chance you'll be able to see that the faithfulness of God is still present even in the midst of the difficulty. 

A few years ago, we had a woman in our church share with us that she had just been diagnosed with cancer. Now, any cancer diagnosis is awful, but this one was particularly difficult because only a few months prior, she had completed treatment for a completely different diagnosis. This was her second bout with cancer in one year!

But the most stunning part of it all was her response to it. During a church service one morning, she gave a testimony about what God was teaching her during her current battle and said that God brought to mind 1 Thess. 5:18. He began to show her all the things for which she could be thankful. She shared the list that morning and said that it was the cancer that gave her the ability to notice all of the different things that she would typically take for granted. It was an amazing testimony to the faithfulness of God.

So, this Thanksgiving, if life is hard, take a few minutes to intentionally notice where God is present, how He's working, and what He has done for you. I'm confident that you will find your list is much bigger than you might anticipate.