1 Thessalonians 5: 12 – 18 (NIV): Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
These are Paul's concluding remarks in this letter so he has a lot to say in a short space. But I want to focus in on the last part of this. He says it is God's will for us to be thankful in all circumstances. This is one of the secrets to being contented as a believer.
It's not easy to be thankful in every situation, but that's what he says God wants us to do. God wants us to remember that he is in control and that he is always up to something good. He is maturing us and making us more and more like Christ. This is often a painful process, but it is a good thing so we can always rejoice.
The idea, then, is to be a thankful person. This is a person who accepts God's will as the very best option. He understands God's power and goodness, even when life doesn't make sense. Thankful people are grateful people. They take time to pause and says 'thanks' for their blessings. They have learned that remembering our blessings is a great way to lift our spirits. They do not go through life taking their blessings for granted.
Thankful people are optimistic people. This doesn't mean they view life unrealistically, but they know that God is the ultimate reality and he is in control. Life is too short to spend even one day as a pessimist.
Thankful people are productive people. They realize their next breath is a gift from God and they want to use their time working for his Kingdom. They want to give back. They realize the prices that have been paid for their lives, freedom, salvation and opportunities, and they want to do their part for others. They want to live in thanks-living.
Are you a thankful person? Are you thankful for ordinary things and even for events that you do not understand? Paul reminds us that it is God's will that we be thankful in all circumstances.
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