We are coming into Thanksgiving week. One of the quintessential attributes of a believer is to be grateful, and this doesn’t apply to just one day or one week out of the year. Thankfulness should permeate our lives everyday, all year long. We can always see the bad in people and events, but what marks the difference for someone who has a genuine faith is to be thankful no matter what. I was thinking this week that I would like to share a short primer on giving thanks to help and encourage each of us.

We can give thanks in every situation because we see our lives under the control of a loving God.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

We can take great comfort in the fact the God is God and we’re not. We can confidently face anything that comes our way knowing God has His hand all over it. He is not going to turn His back on us or forget about us. He is God and can handle everything all at once for us.

We can give thanks in trials because we look beyond the circumstance to the purpose. Suffering doesn’t just happen to Christians haphazardly; God has a purpose behind each and every event in our lives. God custom designs trials to produce, grow and perfect our faith.

…We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. (Romans 5:3; cf. James 1:2-4)

Giving thanks guards our hearts against our enemy.

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Satan is not that concerned with a complaining, non-praying Christian; he is quite satisfied to leave us alone if that is how we’re going to live. However, a believer who is praying will be attacked. Praying with thanksgiving guards our hearts against the onslaughts of the evil one.

I hope everyday is a day of thanksgiving for you. Even when life is severe you can give thanks, but especially when life is good we should be shouting thanksgiving from the top of our lungs. For what are your thankful?

Grace & Peace,