“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18
I stared at my phone in disbelief. “Someone must have hacked Tracee’s Facebook page,” I thought. Surely, it’s a horrible joke. Her husband cannot be dead! Dane was the same age as my husband, Darren. He was my son’s church basketball coach. Darren was the Sunday School teacher for both of Dane’s sons.
As condolences quickly popped up on Tracee’s post, I realized the devastating reality.
The following weekend, Darren and I dropped over a meal for Tracee. Words never seem to be adequate during times like this. So, we just listened as Tracee recalled her husband’s last moments before his heart attack.
“Dane loved Gatorade,” Tracee told us. “He had several cases left and since no one else drank them, I took them to the firefighters battling the forest fires.” A wildfire was burning out of control near Table Rock. I remembered hearing on the radio that the local fire department was accepting donations of snacks and drinks for out of town firefighters who came to help.
I swallowed hard at the tenderness of the moment as I saw a glimpse of Jesus in Tracee’s pain. In the midst of her mourning, this widow brought refreshments to the firefighters. In the midst of her own sorrow, she served someone else’s need. The beautiful thing is our brokenness can be a vessel for God’s glory.
We are never more like Christ than when we enter into His suffering, when we lay down our own desires and care for the needs of others.
My thoughts flashed to Jesus in the upper room, to the night before He knew he would be crucified. Knowing He had less than 24 hours to live, what astounding words did His disciples hear Jesus say?
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them” ~ Luke 22:19 (emphasis added)
Matthew 26:30 also tells us that “after singing songs of praise, they went to the Mount of Olives.” Scholars believe Jesus sang Psalms 113 to 118 with His disciples as part of the Passover Meal. These are known as Psalms of Praise.
So, not only did Jesus give thanks but He worshipped the Father with songs of praise, hours before walking the road to Calvary!
As followers of Christ, we are called to “give thanks in all circumstances”. Maybe you’re like me who used to think, “That’s impossible!” Give thanks when a loved one dies? Give thanks when I lose my job? Give thanks when I’ve been betrayed?
As I pondered this scripture, I realized I had been viewing it the wrong way. We are called to give thanks to God, not for our circumstances. We are called to give thanks to God, in spite of our circumstances. Yes, we should thank God when He blesses us. But we give thanks to God for who He is, not just when He has done something for us.
We thank God for His goodness, His faithfulness and His unending mercy and grace. We thank God because He is holy, just and righteous. It is through this lens that we are to give thanks in all circumstances – in disappointments, disease, devastation and even, death.
Notice 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says it is the will of God for us to give thanks in all circumstances. We are called to live as a people of thanksgiving, where thanksgiving is a lifestyle and not just a holiday.
This is powerfully evident when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi after being severely beaten and flogged.
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” ~ Acts 16:25-26
Bloodied and wounded, Paul and Silas praised God in worship and prayer. In that sacred moment, as they entered into the suffering of Christ, Heaven reached down and shook the ground violently beneath them. When our hearts overflow with praise and thanksgiving, His holy presence will be undeniable because God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
Sometimes, life’s circumstances will shake the foundations of our lives violently. Maybe it’s the end of a relationship, a life-threatening illness or a catastrophic financial loss. For my friend, Tracee, she laid aside her own devastation to be a blessing to firefighters in a fiery battle. It’s an image of Christ I will not forget.
His Light is never more glorious than when It illuminates through the cracks of our broken vessels. When we can give thanks to our Almighty God, even in our most difficult circumstances.
Prayer, praise, worship – these are the elements of a heart of thanksgiving. It is the heart of Jesus. Not just for Thanksgiving. For every day.
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