Thankfulness is so easy when things are going well. It’s much harder to foster in the low places of life. Difficult relationships, low-income seasons, disappointing semesters, and various other trials often make gratitude difficult. Recently, I found myself on the end of a nasty cold that would not subside. As my sickness got worse, so did my attitude. One night, as I lay awake with a fever, I was struck with all the things I had to be thankful for. I had a warm bed to sleep in, medicine to help ease my sickness, clean water and good food to help my body fight the infection. All these little things, everyday, that I had taken for granted, were good gifts that my Heavenly Father and Creator had provided for me. In looking outside of myself and my circumstances, I found an abundance of occasions to be thankful to the Lord. Scripture shows us that this is at the essence of how we can be thankful in all circumstances, even trying ones.
Constant Thankfulness
Throughout my Christian life, one of the verses that has most informed and encouraged me on biblical thankfulness is 1 Thessalonians 5:18. There, the apostle Paul, writes, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I was always amazed at Paul’s command for this particular church to be thankful. After all, this was a church suffering persecution (1 Thess. 1:6) and that had been infiltrated by false teachers trying to persuade them that the resurrection had already happened (1 Thess. 4:13–14). Surely, this church was not in an ideal situation to give thanks! Nevertheless, Paul calls them to thankfulness because biblical thanksgiving does not depend on our circumstances, but looks beyond them to God’s promises and provision.
Because there's inexhaustible glory in God’s gift of the gospel, so also there is endless occasion for Christians to give thanks for this new life. God sent his only Son to lay down his life for us so that we might be forgiven and have new life in him (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10). Surely, these underserved blessings for sinners should produce constant thankfulness in our hearts to the Lord!
Even with the trouble these Christians had, Paul knows that they can be thankful because they have a greater hope than the worst trials of this life (1 Thess. 4:17-18, 1 Thess. 5:9-11). When we look to all the gracious and good gifts that God has bestowed on his children, we also have abundant reasons, at all times, to give thanks (1 Chron. 16:34, 2 Cor. 9:15).
Cementing the continuous nature of giving thanks, Paul finishes the verse by saying this: “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18b). Perhaps one of the most frequent questions for Christians is “what is God’s will for my life?” In this verse, Paul lays it out! We are to be thankful at all times and places for what God has done in our lives.
Expressing Gratitude
Since we are to be thankful in all seasons, it is helpful that Scripture also informs us of how we are to be thankful. One way we express our gratitude to the Lord is through prayer. On several occasions where Paul exhorts his hearers to thankfulness, he inextricably connects it with prayer (Col. 4:2, 1 Thess. 5:17–18). In particular, Philippians 4:6 instructs Christians to give thanks through prayer in times of anxiety and difficulty. Because our thankfulness does not depend on our situations or an absence of hard things, Christians are called to pray with thanksgiving before the Lord. This is because expressing thanks is one of the chief reasons for prayer. The Westminster Shorter Catechism in answering “What is prayer?” states that one of the key elements of prayer is “thankful acknowledgment of [God’s] mercies.” Prayer serves as a vehicle to express our gratitude before the Lord for his kindness to sinners (Ps. 103:1-5).
Additionally, another way we express our gratitude is through worship. Scripture also draws a link between thanksgiving and praise (1 Chron. 29:13, Ps. 95:2, Ps. 100:4). Reflecting on the wonderful deeds the Lord has done should lead us to be thankful (Ps. 92:1). Furthermore, that gratitude should pour out of our hearts to our mouth in praise of God (Ps. 107:1). Worship gives voice to our thankful hearts before the Lord (Ps. 69:30). Even in difficult times, worship and thanksgiving can be our companion because God is the one who rescues us in our trials and gives us occasion to sing a new song of praise to him (Ps. 18:3, Ps 40:2-3, Ps. 73:25-26).
Finally, Scripture teaches us to express gratitude by giving thanks for each blessing from the Lord. As God is the perfect gift-giver (James 1:17), so every gift, big or small, is an occasion to give thanks. Paul reminded several audiences that they were to give thanks for everything (Eph. 5:20, Col. 3:17). Sometimes, our lack of gratitude stems from a lack of ability to see all of God’s blessings to us. However, if we give thanks to God for the little things each day—our clothes, jobs, education, water and food, relationships, etc.—we will see that we have much for which to give thanks to the Lord.
It is the unique privilege of the Christian to be thankful at all times. In a society that is filled with a spirit of entitlement, living in gratitude before the Lord not only brings God’s people joy, but serves as a powerful apologetic. In looking beyond our present circumstances and to the glorious hope that outshines the dark clouds of this world, we are reminded this thanksgiving season why we have so much for which to praise the Lord. Joyfully we may declare: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” (Ps. 9:1).
