“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18
Beloved,
As we approach this Thanksgiving season, I want to
encourage you to give thanks to God in all things. One of our longest tenured
members, Joe Greene, has taught me the incredible value of giving thanks for
the various things in our lives. Every year prior to Thanksgiving, Joe
expresses his gratitude with “40 Days of Thanksgiving.” Each day he walks up
and gives God thanks for a specific think in his life. His example has reminded
me of the importance of giving thanks in all circumstances.
As Joe practices his “40
Days of Thanksgiving,” he is putting into practice the Apostle Paul’s
admonition to set our minds on heavenly things. Giving thanks is a specific way
we can turn our eyes from discontent and frustration to joy and satisfaction.
We can choose to focus on all we do not have or we can give thanks for what we
do have. We must choose to give thanks and we must choose to look for things to
give thanks for in our lives. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” What are the true,
honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable things in your life that you can
give thanks to God for in your present circumstances. Our circumstances will
always be changing, but our attitude of gratitude should always be a constant
anchor in the changing seasons of life.
Give thanks in all
circumstances for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. What does
God want you to do with your life? He wants you to give thanks. God has given
us a reason to always give thanks in giving us the One we can always give thanks
for, Jesus Christ our Savior. Beloved, give thanks to God for Jesus Christ this
Thanksgiving and every day after.
