(1 Th 5:18) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
This command seems too difficult for us today who live in the prosperity of God’s blessings upon us. We are too often complainers and whiners; not people who give thanks – especially “in everything!” I have heard people say that God does not really want or expect us to fulfill this verse literally – He is just expressing an exaggeration. But God does expect this of us just as He expected it from others in the past and, might I add, who did just that.
Thanksgiving is one of those purely religious holidays that the world tries to ignore by-pass or exploit. But it exists today established by former generations as a wholly religious and spiritual day. It is to be a day of giving thanks to God for His blessings, protection and sustaining grace upon our nation and its people.
We do not give thanks in everything today because we have been beguiled by liberal politicians and media to believe that we really deserve all the “free stuff” the government hands out to so many. We have produced a generation that feels that they deserve to live just as well as all others even if they do not work or add to society positively (other than adding people – welfare babies). We decorate with Fall colors and craft items and even use turkeys or amazingly pictures or images of the Pilgrims. Sometimes school children are even told about the first settlers to America, but unfortunately they demonize those first Christians as defilers of the land and Native Americans and not as founders of a new country.
The Pilgrims did exactly as our text verse commands – gave thanks in everything and they went beyond that, they gave thanks FOR all things – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” If anyone had reason to not give thanks it was those first settlers of America. Over half of their number died that first winter; they nearly starved to death, having very, very little to eat. Their faith was tested by the harshness of the wilderness and the weather, yet they gave thanks to God and continued to trust Him for provision. They stood by the graves of mothers, wives, fathers, husbands, children and friends and yet their firm foundation in God brought forth a “Thanks be to God” in and for all they experienced.
We get mad when our favorite sporting event is cancelled, interrupted or the programming goes out. We get up tight when we experience a little pain and inconvenience in our abundant living. We blame God for the wars that sinful men and women have initiated and we accuse Him of not being a loving Deity when evil pursues destruction and harm across the world and at home.
We have ignored Him and thrust Him out of our schools and government and embraced the religion of secular humanism. We have reviled His word and replaced it with humanistic books and theology, then when disasters strike and decimate our land, who do we blame and accuse? We ignore His instructions and pervert His way in society and have even brought this into the church proclaiming freedom from His restraints.
Where will this all end? According to God, it will end at His judgment throne and all will then know that they have been His enemies. They will experience the wrath of the One they have vilified and defiled.
The events that we have experienced lately across this nation and across the world are the results of man’s evil when they depart from the true God and worship a false god. The natural disasters and disease we experience result from a people that think they are wiser than the Creator and ignore Him. The financial problems we have today are the result of leaving God and His ways out of our society and embracing perversion and sin. One of the accusations God hurls at those of years past is in regard to thanksgiving – “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Let us not become as those, but be a thankful people and express thanksgiving to God always in and for all things – not in our own power but in His power. As Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”