1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in everything. Evidently, God's will for us isn't to wait until things go well, and then be grateful. God's will for us isn't to wait until things are desperate, and then pray. Instead, God's will for us is to rely a little less on how things are going, and a little more on what God is like.
In Jesus, we know what God is like--and that is why we pray and give thanks. We know that God cares for us, so we cast our cares on him. We know that God promises a blessing, so we thank him.
In Jesus, we know what God is like--and that is why we pray and give thanks.
Our gratitude doesn't depend on our circumstances. Sometimes God gives us everything we had hoped; we are grateful for his generosity in the good times. Sometimes God lets us go through everything we had feared; we are grateful for his faithfulness and comfort in the hard times. In everything, remembering Jesus, we glimpse a loving God whose promises are always at work, even when everything is falling apart around us.
In everything give thanks. That's not a motto of naïve optimism parroted by people who have easy lives. It's a prescription for peace, passed down by the apostles and prophets and saints who lived through every sort of persecution, trial, temptation, illness, and struggle. Looking at the world around them, they might have despaired. But looking at the God and Father of Jesus Christ, all they could feel was gratitude.
--Jonathan
REMINDERS:
Join us every Sunday at 10 a.m. to encourage one another in worship. This Sunday (November 12) we are having our monthly breakfast at 9 a.m.
Next Sunday (November 19) at 5:30 we are having a Thanksgiving meal at the church. Bring your family! Bring a friend! If you get a chance, sign up to bring a dish to share.
The following Sunday (November 26) at 6 p.m. we are hosting a carol sing, not just for our church, but for other churches in the area. Help us spread the news.
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