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"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
I continue to more deeply probe the will of God. It is a topic I love to ponder. What if I were to tell you that I know God's will for your life? You might think I am joking and not being very serious. Actually, I am most serious. In fact, the Bible tells us clearly what God's will is for all of us... and what is that? God's will is for you and me to give thanks. Paul instructs us to give thanks in everything. You may ask, "How in the world am I to give thanks in bad times?" No matter how painful the valley you are walking through, God is still there, and He will never leave or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5 states, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'") The key for us to give thanks in every situation in life is to keep in mind that God works all things together for our good, according to Romans 8:28. How can God bring something good out of a tragedy like COVID-19? He certainly can and will, even though right now we may not be able to comprehend it while we are in the midst of tragedy or walking through tremendous sorrow. Furthermore, there are some things that we will not understand until we see Him face to face.
It is possible that in our biblical text for today, the word "this" could be an antecedent for not only giving thanks but also for rejoicing and praying. If so, then it is God's will for us, His children, to always be rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks. We do have a choice. We could refuse to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. But this lifestyle only leads to continual sorrow, bitterness, and always feeling sorry for ourselves. If we are not careful, this attitude can lead us to being mad at God and offended by His ways.
On this day we set aside for giving thanks, what will you thank God for today? I encourage you, before you eat the big meal, to go around the table and let everyone say a few words of praise to God and list some of the many things for which they are thankful. Try it. It will make the meal even better.
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