Give Thanks in Everything
November 1
Give Thanks in Everything
Matthew (Tolu) Olowoyeye
Founder · The Berean
1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
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Paul gives a command that is at once simple and deeply challenging: in everything give thanks. Notice the careful wording, "in everything," not "for everything." We are not asked to pretend that every circumstance is good, or to thank God for evil and pain as though they were blessings. We are asked to give thanks in every circumstance, to find, in any situation, reasons for gratitude, and above all to give thanks to the God who remains good and present and at work, whatever the circumstance holds.
And Paul tells us this is no mere suggestion: "this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." We often agonise over knowing God's will for our lives, scanning the horizon for some hidden plan; here is one clear, settled piece of it, plainly stated, that we give thanks in everything. A thankful heart is not an optional extra for especially cheerful believers; it is God's revealed will for every one of His children. To cultivate gratitude is to step directly into the will of God.
Whatever today holds, and some days hold hard things, there will be cause for thanks in it. Look for it, and give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ.
Take Into The Day
Whatever today brings, practise giving thanks in it, not pretending hard things are good, but finding genuine reasons for gratitude within the day and thanking the God who is present in it. Begin now by naming three.
Prayer
Father, You call me to give thanks in everything, for this is Your will for me in Christ. Not for the hard things, but in them, help me find reasons for gratitude and to thank You, who remain good and present in every circumstance. Make me a thankful person today. Amen.
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