Thankful in all Things
November 23, 2020
by: Louise Duval MA, LPC, LAC, CAC
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to share a few things God has been teaching me through this verse. One of the things that stands out to me in this verse is that it is God’s will for us to give thanks in all circumstances. God’s will is always what is best for us and I believe it is His will for us to be thankful in all circumstances because He knows that is the only way we can have joy in life. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is a feeling dependent on circumstances, joy is an inner contentment despite circumstances and it only comes from Jesus. We are to be thankful IN all circumstances, but not FOR all circumstances. There are many things in our world, especially this year that we are not thankful for and God does not want us to just pretend everything in fine. Prayer helps us be thankful in all circumstances. Through prayer, we are able to communicate with the God of the universe who loves us enough to want to have a relationship with us. As we pray, He reminds us He loves us and He is in control no matter how bad things are.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving with a thankful heart, we can begin to prepare for Christmas. Being thankful prepares our hearts for celebrating Christmas for what it is really about: God sending His Son to earth to show us how much we are loved. Most of the time, you can find at least something in your life to be thankful for, but if you are struggling to do this, you can be thankful that you are loved by the God who is in control of this crazy world. Focusing your mind on this truth will make you truly thankful!
Praying that you have a happy and thank-filled Thanksgiving!