Being thankful is God's will for you

I Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Starting in verse 12 of I Thessalonians, there are 17 commands listed through verse 22.  In your quiet time, why not write out these 17 commands and pray over them that they all might apply in your daily life?

Everyone asks the question, “What is God’s will?” plus more specifically, “What is God’s will for my life?”  The first question is more easily answered than the second as the first question deals with God’s will for all His human creation while the second question deals with God’s will for each person individually.  In part God’s will for each person individually is determined not only by learning what your specific and unique talents, skills, and interests are and using them, but also by learning what is/are your specific spiritual gift(s) and applying them within the body of Christ (read Ephesians 4:11-13 and Romans 12:4-8).

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 gives three clear indicators of what is the will of God for your life.  It is the will of God that you rejoice, that you pray, and that you give thanks.  You may be thinking (candidly), ‘Oh, sure, everyone knows that God wants everyone to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, big deal!  But, I want to know what is His will for my life!”  Well, perhaps, until you make it a habit of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks, you may never learn His will for your life! 

The Bible gives many other clues about what God wants you to do with your life that will be following His will.  Here are a few of them:

·  Submit to and obey Him (I Peter 2:13-15) 

·  Obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1)

·  Marry a Christian (I Corinthians 6:15)

·  Work (I Thessalonians 4:11-12)

·  Support your family (I Timothy 5:8)

·  Give to God’s work and to the poor (II Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 2:10)

·  Rear children to God’s standards (Ephesians 6:4)

·  Meditate on the Scriptures (Psalm 1:2)

·  Assemble for worship (Hebrews 10:25)

·  Proclaim Christ (Acts 1:8)

·  Set proper values (Colossians 3:2)

·  Display love (I Corinthians 13)

·  Accept people without prejudice (James 2:1-10)

·  Love others as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:3)

Giving thanks to God should be a natural act of any Christian.  Romans 8:28 promises that “all things work together for good” so you should be thanking God in all circumstances because all circumstances will work themselves out for something better.  The only circumstances where thanking God is not proper are sinful circumstances.  It is not the will of God to be committing sin and thanking Him for that sin.

A thankful mind and heart keeps you from excess worry and frees your anxieties.  What can you be thanking God about whatever circumstances you are in right now?