How can We Give Thanks to God In Everything?

“in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Apostle Paul has taught us God’s will for us in Christ Jesus, that is “in everything give thanks (1 Thes.5:18).  And Paul’s teaching is not just merely from his lips.  He has shown an example for us to follow.  He gave thanks to God always for all the believers in Thessalonica (1:2).  How could this be possible?  How could Paul give thanks to God in everything?  He did this by two ways:

                First, Paul was able to give thanks to God in everything by praying to God continually.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3: “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Apostle Paul gave thanks to God always concerning the believers in Thessalonica when he was remembering them continually in his prayer.  Why did he give thanks to God always?  The reason is because of their work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope (v.3). 

What is the work of faith?  First, it is the work of the gospel which came to the Thessalonians not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (v.5).  The gospel which is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16) came to the Thessalonians with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction and as a result, the Thessalonians turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thes.1:9).  Second, the work of faith is welcoming the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit in spite of severe suffering (v.6).  You see, when the Thessalonians were idol worshipers, they didn’t need to go through severe suffering.  But since they accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, they had to go through severe suffering.  And in the midst of going through severe suffering, the believers in Thessalonica welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.  When they received the word of God, which they heard from Paul and his co-workers, they accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God (2:13).  Moreover, the word of God was working in them (v.13).  How can we know this?  The believers in Thessalonica were standing firm in the Lord (4:8) in the midst of going through the trials (v.3).  Although there was the tempter who might have tempted them (v.5), the Thessalonica believers weren’t being shaken but were standing firm in their faith.  Third, the work of faith is that the Thessalonica believers’ faith in God had become known everywhere (1:8).  The Lord’s message rang out form them not only in Macedonia and Achaia but everywhere (v.8).  Thus, Paul was encouraged (3:7) and confessed that “now we really live” (v.8).  This is what he said in chapter 3:9: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?”.  You see, the powerful word of God was enabling the believers in Thessalonica to live a life that is pleasing to God (4:1).  That is, the word of God was powerfully working in them that they live according to God’s will (v.3).  In other words, in the midst of tempter tempting them to live in passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God (v.5), the Thessalonica believers lived sanctified life (v.3).  In fact, the Thessalonica believers lived according to God’s calling which is not to be impure but to live a holy life (v.7).  They pleased God.  Thus, Paul was able to thank God continually (2:13).

What is the labor of love?  First, it is imitating the Lord Jesus and His servant apostle Paul and his co-workers (1:6).  What did the Thessalonica believers imitate Paul and his co-workers?  They imitated Paul’s and his co-workers’ toil and hardship in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ (2:9).  In fact, like Paul, the Thessalonica believers suffered for the sake of His gospel (v.14).  Second, the labor of love is loving each other (4:9).  The believers of Thessalonica, like Paul and his co-workers (3:12), loved each other as God taught them to do so (4:9).  Specifically, they respected those who worked hard among them, who were over them in the Lord and who admonished them (5:12).  They held them in the highest regard in love because of their work (v.13).  And as Paul commanded them, the Thessalonica believers warned those who were idle, encouraged the timid, helped the weak and was patient with everyone (v.14).  And they made sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always tried to be kind to each other and to everyone else (v.15).  For them Paul was praying continually as he remembered their labor of love continually.  And this was Paul’s prayer: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you” (3:12). Then, the question is ‘Why did the Thessalonica believers promoted the labor of love?  The reason was because they were loved by God (1:4).  Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:4: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,”.  You see, they were able to promote the labor of love because they were loved by God.  And the love was God’s chosen love.  Thus Paul was able to thank God continually (2:13).

What is the endurance of hope?  First, it is waiting for his Son from heaven (1:10).  The Thessalonians were idol worshippers (v.9) until the gospel came to them with power, with the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (v.5).  And God called these idol worshippers into God’s kingdom and glory (2:12) because God loved them (1:4).  That’s why the Thessalonica believers were waiting for Jesus’ second coming (v.10).  And since they had eternal hope in Christ Jesus, they didn’t grieve like the rest of men who have no hope and were ignorant about those who fall asleep (4:13).  It is because since Jesus died and rose again, they believed that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him (v.14).  In a word, the Thessalonica believers were patient in affliction (Rom.12:12).  Second, the endurance of hope is living a holy life.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 3:13: “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”  Similar prayer was offered to God in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Why did Paul pray like this?  The reason was because living a holy life is God’s will (4:3).  Since God called them not to be impure but to live a holy life (v.7), Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Thessalonica to avoid sexual immorality (v.3) and not to live in passionate lust like the heathen (v.5).  And because of these Thessalonians’ labor of love, Paul was able to thank God continually (2:13).

Second, in order for us to give thanks to God in everything/circumstances, we must hold fast to that which is good and abstain from every from of evil.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.  “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”  We can never be thankful when we are hold on to any form of evil.  How can we?  When we keep on sinning against God, we cannot give thanks to God.  Rather, it will make us to feel guilty and be depressed.  Therefore, we must examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good.  And we must get rid of every from of evil.  The believers in Thessalonica carefully examined everything and held fast to that which is good and got rid of every form of evil.  In the midst of tribulation, they held fast to that which is good and avoided every kind of evil by overcoming all kinds of evil temptations.  What did they do?  First, the Thessalonica believers held fast to faith(belief) and avoided unbelief.  They didn’t live like they used to when they were unbelievers in worshipping idols and following after their old nature, that is passionate lust (4:5).  Rather, in the midst of temptation by the tempter they lived a holy life which is God’s will for them (v.3).  In a word, the believers in Thessalonica avoided all the temptation and stood firm in their faith (v.8).  They have never been shaken in their faith.  Second, the Thessalonica believers held fast to love and avoided hate.  They respected those who worked hard among them, who were over them in the Lord and who admonished them (5:12).  And they loved each other as God taught them (4:9).  They didn’t wrong their brothers or took advantage of them (4:6).  Rather, they loved all the brothers throughout Macedonia (4:10).  Third, the Thessalonica believers held fast to hope and avoided despair.  Although they could grieve and be in despair when their fellow brothers fell asleep (4:13) they sill hoped in the Lord.  It’s because they believed that Jesus died and rose again (v.14).  They also believed that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him (v.14).  Moreover, the Thessalonica believers hoped that those who are still alive are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and will be with the Lord forever (v.17, 5:10).  With this hope, they were able to endure suffering and hardship.  Moreover, with the hope of their spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (5:23), the Thessalonica believers endured suffering and hardship. 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us give thanks to God in everything and in very circumstances.  In order to do so, let us pray continually as we remember our work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope.  And let us hold fast to that which is good and avoid every form of evil.  As a result, may we be able to give thanks to God “always”, “continually” and “in everything and in all circumstances.

As I hope and pray that the New Year 2011 become the year of giving thanks to God in everything,

Give thanks to the Lord, O My Soul!