Steven A. Bush - November 24, 2024
Thanksgiving Despite Circumstances
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul gives this beloved church family (and all church families) what seems to be a monumental challenge: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (ESV) When we merely focus on the "thanksgiving" part, this alone seems most difficult, especially when the circumstances may be far from "good." If we were to make lists of all the "good" things we were thankful for and then commenced to thanking God for all those things, we might feel we were closing in on the object of the command. But what happens when the "good" list gets wiped out--then what? Ephesians 3:20 sounds similar: "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NLT) Perhaps the key to compliance is the part where it says, "In Christ Jesus." How so? Because the things in Christ Jesus--the eternal things won for us by Christ's sacrifice--cannot be wiped out. Those things are moth, rust, and thief-proof! Those things are better than "good!" And therefore, as our Father's adopted children, no matter the temporal circumstances in the here and now, thanksgiving for what has been won for us by our Lord, is not only possible, but something we can embrace with all our hearts...
Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Ephesians 5:15-20, Psalms 100:1-5, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 1 Peter 1:3-9