DO THIS! (PART 9)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I formed the following saying some time ago and feel free to use it yourself anytime:

The next most powerful words after “I love you” are “Thank you” and we need to make sure we use them with regularity.

Think about how many opportunities you have to communicate thanks, either verbally or non-verbally.

Someone scans your purchases at the store. Thank them for what they are doing for you.

A person pays you a compliment, either in person or virtually. Thank them for their kindness.

You read a social media post that inspires or helps you. Thank the poster with a quick comment.

You receive a gift from someone on your birthday, a holiday, or sometimes just because. Take the time to send them a handwritten or electronic thank you card with your words of gratitude.

You are out driving and a person yields the right away to you. Raise your hand toward them which is understood as a universal signal of thanks.

You get the point. If we’re intentional about the matter of showing appreciation for the things people do, then it becomes habit and we say “Thank you” as much as we say “I love you” which means we refrain from taking people for granted.

Why go into this?

Because it nicely fits the theme of today’s ninth “Do this!” command from God as we continue this series from the fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian Christians. Here’s what the scriptures demand from us:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (5:18).

Now, giving thanks can come pretty easy for us and many of you reading today might think to yourself that you already do well in expressing gratitude to others. But note here how the Lord ups the ante on thanksgiving for we are ordered to “give thanks in all circumstances” because it is “God’s will” for us “in Christ Jesus”.

In other words, the matter of giving thanks, no matter what, is not optional. All circumstances means just that, all circumstances. The Lord expects us to give thanks in bad times as well as good.

When we experiencing hardship of some kind, we are to give thanks.

When we are sick or diseased, even if death is knocking on our door, we are to give thanks.

When we are in the throes of a broken relationship and its associated heartbreak, we are to give thanks.

And when we are thrown into grief from the loss of someone dear, we are to give thanks.

Friends, this isn’t easy, is it? In fact, one might say that it’s impossible for them to find ways to be thankful while in the depths of difficulty and suffering. But we need to remember that the Lord will never call us to do something that we can’t accomplish, not by our own strength and wisdom but through Him helping us.

When we go through hardship, we can give thanks that God has promised to see us through and provide our needs while refining our faith in Him along the way.

When we are sick, we can give thanks that He cares for us and serves as our Great Physician, the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) and knows every operational part in our body because He designed it. There’s nothing He can’t fix and make well. We need to remember this.

If death is imminent, we need to give thanks for the life the Lord has provided and the glorious eternal life to come. Death has lost its sting and through our belief in Jesus, we gain the victory over the grave. We need to show God our utmost gratitude for His salvation gift through His Son.

If we’re in the midst of a broken relationship and heartbreak, we can give thanks for the opportunity to love someone at all. Not every relationship lasts forever because not every person we think we want to be with is the person the Lord wants us to be with. Sometimes, the Lord brings a break up to rescue us from future pain and we should never discount how He watches over us and is always working to save us from ourselves.

And when we suffer loss of a loved one, we can always give thanks for the life lived by them and the memories we are left with. If the loved one was suffering, we can feel gratitude that the suffering has now ended. If the person is in Christ, we have the added blessing of knowing they are secure in their salvation and on their way to glory, something we should rejoice over.  

Friends, this command isn’t one that is negotiable. We are called to give thanks in all circumstances and we can if we always seek the Lord’s help and guidance. When we do, He’ll always reveal a reason to express gratitude, even in the toughest of times.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com