Give Thanks
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Thanksgiving is easy when things are going right and we are happy. Thanksgiving is a lot more difficult when things are not going in our favour.
This is because when we are focused on ourselves and we are happy, we are thankful for whatever is making us happy.
To be thankful in all circumstances mean that we are thankful for God and who He is and all that He has done.
God’s character never changes, so even when our circumstances do, we can still be thankful to Him regardless of what we are going through.
We need to have a lifestyle of thanksgiving that focuses on God and what we do have through Him. It focuses on how good He is and all that He has given us.
If we are only thankful depending on our circumstances, we are not living according to Scripture. It does not mean that we thank God for the tough things we are facing. Instead, we thank
Him that He is with us and bringing us through. We can thank Him in advance for moving on our behalf, but more importantly, we can thank Him for His love and goodness that never leaves us.
Remember, right before the Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, it says that we should rejoice always and pray continually. All three of these things are connected, and when we do one, they stir us to do the other two. When we rejoice always, we can also always be thankful. When we are thankful, we can rejoice over what we are thankful for. When we pray continually, it will spring up joy and thanksgiving because we will see Him and His goodness. Prayer, thankfulness, and joy all change our perspectives and help us see from God’s perspective.