Should Christians Give Thanks In Everything?

"Thank you Lord" is not a very difficult phrase to say. But for some Christians, especially when we're going through rough times and trials, we have a hard time finding anything to be thankful for. Sometimes we forget that it's through God's providence that we are where we are now. I think many Christians need a paradigm shift in the way we look at life. The question that we should be asking ourselves instead is, "Is there anything that I should not be thankful for?" We tend to take what we have for granted: our family, our wealth and health, our friends and the bounty of blessings that God has given us. Many of us think selfishly and we fill our prayers with requests rather than thanksgiving. Have we forgotten to be thankful to the One who provides?

Being thankful for the blessings we've received is one thing but I believe the biggest struggle in our Christian journey is being thankful for the not-so-pleasant things in life. Our journey is paved with trials and challenges and we often don't understand the reasons as to why we have to go through these. These problems just leave us fatigued and miserable and thereafter, we blame God for the misfortunes we undergo. But, many a times, the "misfortunes" that we see are actually blessings in disguise.

It is common for us followers to equate good circumstances as blessings and misfortunes as a curse of punishment but this is not necessarily true. "God must be punishing me. He doesn't want me to lead a joyful life," we cry. A person who is caught up in such thoughts would often lead fearful and discontented lives. We should not fall into this trap. We have to understand that God uses all the happenings in our lives to transform us into His image painfully but surely. What better way to test and hone our faithfulness, patience or gratitude, than to throw us into circumstances where it's hard to be patient, faithful or to be thankful. God uses what we perceive as "misfortunes" to make us better followers of Him. This we have to realize and accept.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul tells us to "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." God's way of working in our lives is something that remains a mystery but one thing is for sure, He knows what's best and He knows it's for our own good. We may not understand the chaos around us now, but we are called to be faithful to our Lord who continually guides us through the Holy Spirit. So today, let us depend on God more. Let us trust Him and thank Him for everything that He gives us and lets us go through.


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Are you having a difficult time finding something to be thankful for? Detox Your Life is a personal development program for Christians to help you experience more of God's peace, joy, & abundance. Visit Detox Your Life. Rhonda Jones is the author of 22 Christian meditation & affirmation CDs, visit The Christian Meditator.