A Word from Your Mission Strategist, Steve Laughman
“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Most of us who have followed Jesus for any length of time have struggled with discerning God’s will at one time or another. Circumstances cloud our understanding. Limited knowledge makes us question our direction. Unconfessed sin can keep us from hearing what God is saying to us. Even when we fervently seek God’s wisdom there are times when He seems to remain silent. But He is never truly silent. God has spoken through His Word and through His Son, Jesus Christ. He spoke through the prophets and the writers of Scripture. He continues to speak through His Spirit and the written Word today.
Paul encouraged the church at Thessalonica to be thankful always. He even writes that this is the express will of God. Giving thanks in everything is not our natural reaction. When we experience a year like 2020, our first response is not often to thank God. Yet this is exactly what the Bible tells us is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. It takes discipline to thank God when life is hard. We must die to that part of us that fights back and wants to complain. Why would God expect or even want for us to do something so difficult?
His desire for us is to treasure Christ above all. When we give thanks in everything, we acknowledge that God is still the Giver of good things, including His Son, Our Savior. Even when we have lost our faith, God is faithful. When our family member is sick, God is good. When we lose our job, God is our provider. When the world is in disarray, God is our peace. Giving thanks in everything requires a change in perspective – a necessary change for all of us. We do not give thanks to some nebulous universal force. We direct our thanks to the One who created us and sustains us. He is the object of all our thanksgiving.
Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to sit at a table with people you love and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this month. You will be able to worship either in person or online with other believers as we give thanks to God for all He has done. As you do, remember that Thanksgiving is not a once a year event. Giving thanks is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus every day, in every situation. It is a discipline well worth the effort.
