Are We Really Thankful?

   The Apostle Paul admonished those who have trusted in Christ as their personal Savior to always “rejoice,” to “pray” regularly, and to “give thanks in everything” (see I Thessalonians 5:16-18).  This is another way of saying that believers are to do all to the “glory of God” (see I Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23).  When we rejoice in the Lord, even in bad situations, we are acknowledging His sufficiency to strengthen us and see us through every circumstance of life.  When we call out to Him in prayer, we are acknowledging His personal care for us and His ability to intercede for our good according to His will in every situation we might find ourselves in.  In thanking Him in all things, we are acknowledging that He is all wise and sovereign over all things and therefore is ultimately in control of the future and that He knows, much better than we do, what our real needs are and how best to meet them.  It is the submission of our will to His will.

   Too often we find ourselves rejoicing and thanking God only when things are going our way, when we have an abundance of material things, when we get something that we want, when the things that make us anxious are taken away, when our pain (emotional or physical) is relieved, when we don’t have to endure hard trials.  It is easy to say “Thank you Lord” when our life is going good and the future ...

Want to read more?

Subscribe today!

Learn how to email this article to others