Thankfulness

It is one of those days! When you leave the house in a hurry, your car will not start. After a crowded bus ride one of your colleagues meets you at the door to the building and tells you how one of the nationals has been lying about you. When you open your door, the office is a mess because someone had broken in during the night and trashed it looking for valuables that were not there. A few minutes later your spouse calls to say that two of your kids just woke up with high fevers. 

Looking for some sympathy and encouragement, you approached a friend and began to tell what had happened. Before you could finish, your friend said: “Remember that Paul, an early cross-cultural worker, wrote to the people in one of his churches, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’” When you protested that Paul could not have really meant that, you friend pointed out that earlier in the sentence Paul said, “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 1:16-18). 

You began to ask questions. Why be thankful? What if I don’t feel like I have anything to be thankful for? Whom do I thank? What else does the Bible say? Let us consider these questions and more.