Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:18
For many, the idea of giving thanks “in all circumstances” can be a challenge. When disappointments come our way or when bad things happen, the thought all too often arises, “How in the world can I give thanks for that!?!”
Believe me, I can relate. In recent years I have faced untimely deaths and unwelcome diagnoses. I’ve encountered painful experiences and costly expenses.
Yet what I’ve come to see is that many times, a reason for an attitude of gratitude can still be found. One of my favorite illustrations of this is seen in an event in the life of Matthew Henry.
Matthew Henry was an eighteenth-century Puritan preacher. His Bible commentary remains among the most popular of all time. On one occasion, while living in London, Henry was accosted by robbers.
Perhaps you’ve experienced a similar sense of violation – whether by having your car broken into or coming home to discover that your house had been burglarized. (We know what that’s like!). It’s among the most unsettling things that can happen to a person.
I’m sure it was, as well, for a quiet, thoughtful man of letters like Matthew Henry. Yet here is what he wrote in his journal.
Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.
What a perspective! As someone has said, “If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape.”
Flipping your perspective of thanks
Put another way, if you can’t muster up thanks for what did happen, perhaps you can consider what didn’t happen. Here’s a sampling.
You lost your job . . . but you didn't lose your health.
You didn’t get the promotion. . . but your kids still think you’re the best.
Your dog died . . . but you enjoyed his companionship for many years.
Your mother has Alzheimer's disease . . . but your father doesn't.
You were in a car accident . . . but you weren't seriously hurt.
You broke your leg . . . but you didn't break your neck.
You're suffering from the flu . . . but you don't have cancer.
You're broke . . . but you're not homeless.
Your house flooded . . . but your family photo albums were undamaged.
Get the idea?
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. So, as part of your Thanksgiving season reflections, what if you not only listed some of the good things that did happen but some of the bad things that didn’t happen?
You may not be thankful for everything – but you can always be thankful for something.
You may not be thankful for everything – but you can always be thankful for something.
At the end of the day, it’s a choice that we can all make. The prophet Habakkuk, who knew much disappointment in his life put it well.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
PRAYER
Lord, in this season of Thanksgiving, I want to pause to give thanks in all the circumstances that I’m facing. For the not-so-obvious blessings as well as the obvious ones. May my attitude ever and always be reflective of the psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless His holy name!”
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