Scripture: 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Context:

So many of us wonder and ask, “what is God’s will for my life?” We are all searching for a purpose and want to do the exact thing that God has for us. What if we may be overcomplicating it though? In fact, God has already written out His will for each of us throughout His Word (encourage you to look up all the “God’s will for you” verses in scripture because it’s pretty cool, there’s a handful of them!), one of them being giving thanks which we will focus on today. Paul writes to “give thanks in ALL circumstances”, in plenty and in want, in “good times” and in “bad”. If anyone knew how to give thanks in difficult circumstances, it was Paul. He still had joy and could give thanks even while sitting in a jail cell. 

Personal Story:

One of my friends shared on social media that they took the month of November to journal 10 things per day of what they were grateful for. I thought it seemed like a pretty cool challenge so I decided to try it out myself along with taking a break from certain social media apps. So far, I can honestly say I’ve seen drastic improvements in my anxiety/stress levels, find myself randomly thanking God throughout my day in addition to the journaling, am more positive-focused instead of negative, and am experiencing a whole lot less comparing myself to others. The reality is no matter how hard one’s life may be, there is always a handful of things you can give thanks to God for. Whether that be gratefulness for the ability to walk, having a bed to sleep on, or food on the table, these are all luxuries that we are all blessed with. The more that I call these things that I am grateful for to memory, the more my heart is filled with gratitude and humility for all the good things God has provided in my life that I do not deserve. I notice how it is rewiring my brain and changing my mindset already. 

- Jessica Abraham

Application:

You may find yourself longing for this season to end and for the next chapter to start, but maybe God has you in this season to prepare you before you enter the next. However, you’ve missed the beauty and preparation of what this season can bring because of wishing you were on the other side of it. Instead of being focused on what God has for you next, thank Him for the season you are in now because it’s just that, a season; it won’t last forever and you never know how much longer you have in this current season. Instead of grumbling and complaining, what would it look like to turn those complaints into thankful prayers to God (Phil. 2:14)? Thank you God that I’m living in my answered prayer that I prayed for years back. Thank you for this season of singleness where I have the most time and freedom I will ever have in my life. Thank you for my crying and needy children because I know one day I will miss the house being filled with all this noise. Thank you God for my spouse even though we don’t see eye to eye at times, thank you for the ways he challenges my thinking and makes me better. 

“Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.”