Give Thanks - Everyday!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalms 100:4


The Bible instructs us, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) That directive might seem easy when life is going well. But if painful circumstances arise, expressing gratitude can become difficult.

It’s interesting to note that this instruction to thank the Lord in all things was written by Paul—the apostle whose loyalty to Christ earned him severe persecution. You might wonder how he was able to be grateful to God.

While many situations weren’t to his liking, Paul knew that His riches in Christ Jesus far outweighed any earthly discomfort. Consider the blessings he so valued, which are available to all believers. First of all, we are invited to have a personal relationship with the one true God—the sovereign, omniscient, and omnipresent Lord of all creation. Second, our Creator loves us with an everlasting and unconditional love. Third, He sent His Son to die as payment for our sin-debt so that we could spend eternity with Him. As a result, when we place trust in Jesus, we are freed from the fear of death.

And the list of blessings keeps going: God adopts believers as His children and seals them with His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). He has a plan for every life—and bestows special gifts and empowerment to make it happen. He also promises to meet every need through His limitless resources (Philippians 4:19) and provides His Word and indwelling Spirit to guide us. No wonder Paul was grateful!

We must realize that thankfulness is not based on emotions or a situation’s outcome. We can be grateful, even during trials, because the Lord has promised to work everything for our good (Romans 8:28). That means He has a purpose for every experience,pleasant or difficult. A big problem stacked against our small resources sends us running to Him, thankful He has committed to work it to our benefit.

The believer’s part is to trust God will bring good from trials and to discover His plan, which gives further reason for thanking Him. Understanding His intentions renews our strength for facing difficult trials. Expressing gratefulness changes our attitude about God, ourselves, and our situations. Most people allow hurt and stress to form a pessimistic mindset, which negatively impacts every facet of their life. But believers have God’s Spirit working within to provide courage and a flow of thanksgiving.

When we demonstrate thankfulness in harsh circumstances, other people pay attention. Our coworkers, family, and friends will want for themselves the peace and energy we derive from a grateful relationship with the Lord. So whatever you experience today, go ahead and defy logic—praise God.

Thank you, Lord for every blessing You have bestowed on me! You have given me a wonderful life, full of wonder and miracles. Teach me to be grateful in all circumstances, not just today but every day. I will praise You and I will worship You! In Jesus name~Amen