Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Can We Really Be Thankful in All Circumstances?
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV).
One of the most difficult concepts for all Christians is to be thankful in all circumstances. I think all of us have lifted prayers of supplication during times of great adversity. As we prayed, we were probably nervous, angry, or perhaps scared. We certainly were not thankful.
Prayer must be grounded with gratitude, confidence, and humility. We express gratitude when we thank God for what He has already done. This concept is well stated in Philippians 4:6. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
The Bible teaches, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). I think many people are waiting on God to take action on their prayers but God is perhaps waiting on them to show some sincere gratitude. Everything we have is from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
Our confidence in prayer is not based on self-confidence but rather our confidence in the Father and His promises to us. “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Ephesians 3:12).
Last but not least is humility. I know God is not pleased with the prevalent attitude of entitlement. Humility is essential to prayer. One of my favorite promises of Scripture is in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and speaks to the importance of humility. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances. Notice it does not say to give thanks for all circumstances. There is a big difference. There are a lot of things in life you should not be thankful for. You should never be thankful for evil. In fact, we are called to hate evil.
The Bible says to give thanks in every circumstance, not for, because God can bring good even out of bad things. This is the promise of Romans 8:28 which gives us hope during bad times. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who] have been called according to His purpose.”
There is no doubt that there is evil in this world. We should never be grateful for evil or tragic circumstances. We can be grateful that evil will not win. God can and will turn bad into good in His own way and in His own time. Our God has already established final victory over sin. We will eventually be healed, and His victory shall be ours as well. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
When bad things happen, don’t ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, ask, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” When we learn from God, then you grow more like Christ. Then we will be able to better see how He is working in our lives and truly give Him thanks in all circumstances.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the blood of your Son that gives us victory over sin and death. Forgive us for our lack of gratitude, confidence, and humility. Restore in us a clean heart and a right spirit. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
The Heart of the Problem is A Problem of the Heart
The Heart of the Problem is A Problem of the Heart “Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds” (Psalm 36:1 TLB).The human heart can be a dark place. When God is not pursued, and people declare themselves as Lord the result is dark. Yes, the light overcomes the darkness, but darkness rules where there is no light. We become savages. We victimize the vulnerable, spread gossip, and give in to every sinful desire of the flesh.Dark hearts lead to a dark society where people suppress their better selves and rise based on... -
Daniel Shows Us How To Handle A Crisis
Crisis Management From Daniel “Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:17-18 NIV).I have long enjoyed reading the book of Daniel. He was a young Jewish man that lived in Jerusalem and was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He loyally served the king while remaining true to God. The story of Daniel in the lion’s den from Daniel... -
Joyful Obedience
Joyful Obedience “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15 NIV).If you were to list ten words to describe yourself, do you think “obedient” would be one of the words? You probably hope that when others describe you that they see some evidence of the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).“Obedient” is not a fruit of the Spirit but is the conscious use of our God-given free will. God has given us free will to either obey His commands or not. Since the beginning of time in the Garden of...