No Matter What

In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)

When was the last time you were thankful for bad news or full of gratitude when you were experiencing a particularly trying time in your life?

Not only can’t I recall the last time I was full of thanksgiving for all the difficulty in my life, I can’t recall the first time I was ever thankful for it. No, thankful and difficult don’t go hand in hand for me.

But they should.

Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Thessalonica (now modern-day Greece), exhorts those believers to be thankful in EVERY situation, no matter what it is, and to continually give thanks to God.

He didn’t stop there either. He punctuated that directive with, “for this is the will of God for you in Christ

Jesus.” Ouch!

Why do you think Paul added that last part? To guilt the Thessalonians into being thankful? I don’t think that was it at all. As a matter of fact, he could only

have guilted them into saying they were thankful. He could never have guilted them into actually being thankful.

When we look at what “God’s will” means, we find that a simpler translation is “what God wants” and/or “what God commands.” So, Paul is actually saying God wants us to be thankful in every situation and we are commanded to do it.

I think it is so important to take note right now that Paul isn’t saying be thankful FOR the circumstances. He is saying be thankful IN our circumstances. We can be thankful because we know that God is with us no matter who we are, where we are, or what we’re going through. As believers in Jesus Christ we are reassured in Romans 8:28 that He works all things together for good.

When we are thankful in every situation and giving thanks to God, we are ultimately acknowledging God’s provision for us. We are giving God the power over our lives and not the unwanted medical diagnosis we’re dealing with, nor the financial crisis that is consuming us. We are believing the truth in Romans 8:28—that God loves us and He works everything for good for those who love Him.

I can tell you when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer at ten months old and when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I was not thankful for any of it. I was, however, thankful for God and believed He was fully aware of what I was going through. I knew the only way to walk through these terrifying circumstances was to walk with Him. Did I sometimes leave His side? I did and occasionally still do. Did/does He ever leave mine? Never.

I should point out too that being grateful to God never looks like pretending our circumstances are anything less than they are. In fact, being grateful acknowledges the magnitude of our situation while recognizing that God is greater.

Beloved, what are you experiencing today? Are you battling a health crisis? Praying for a lost child? Are you worried about how you’re going to buy groceries and pay this month’s bills?

Gratitude won’t change any of that, but it will change our focus. Putting it squarely on the one who can change our circumstances.

I know from personal experience that situations in our lives can either cause us to move away from or towards God. He’s not the one who moves. Maybe then God commands us to give thanks in every situation so that we are reminded of who He is. Just like He never moves, He also never changes. And for that we should be thankful…always and in everything.