1 Thessalonians 5:18 | Why Be Thankful?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Giving thanks is easy on special days. It is easy to thank God when everything goes our way, but in challenging seasons it can feel nearly impossible to be thankful. So how can this be the will of God?
God is not asking us to brush over hardship. He does not expect us to slap on a smile and pretend like things are not difficult. Instead, he asks us to be thankful through the pain. We can look to Habakkuk 3:17-18 for a model of what this looks like. “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
The truth is that God is good no matter what we are facing. Even if there is seemingly nothing to praise God for, there is still God to praise God for.
The seasons of lack show us that God is closer than we know, better than we could believe, and more loving than we could imagine.
Finally, thankfulness is a sign of maturity. Our complaining, doubting, and bitterness are a part of the journey. God knows this. But maturity comes when we understand the goodness of God is not circumstantial.
So I’m giving you an inside scoop into how to run after mature abiding. Be thankful. If you have a challenge you are facing, you might be like me and cycle through the reactions and fears, but then turn and be grateful. I’m learning that thankfulness aligns me with the truth and helps me see God working in ways I could imagine. And that is why I believe it is God’s will that we be thankful.
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