Most people want to know the will of God, sometimes just out of curiosity. If we knew God’s will for certain it would help us with major decisions at critical points in our lives. However, it is very rare that we will know God’s will for certain. While God has a specific plan and purpose for each individual and He has a specific will for each person, there is one common core of God’s will that applies to every one. This common core is spelled out in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
God’s will for each of us is that we should be thankful in every situation. Yes, especially in times of adverse circumstances, when thankfulness is not a natural human response. While the trying situations in which we find ourselves may not merit any thoughts of gratefulness, God’s will is that we find things to be thankful about. If nothing else comes to mind, we can be thankful of this one thing: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29).
We can be thankful that God is using the stressful events in our life to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. This spirit of thanksgiving springs from the “treasure” that we bear in our “earthen vessels” — the Lord Jesus Christ. This attitude of gratitude makes it possible to be “troubled on every side, yet not distressed” (2 Corinthians 4:7-8).
Thanksgiving is also the common cure for all ailments, especially emotional issues. Gratitude is the basis of maintaining a merry heart which is the best remedy in every situation (Proverbs 17:22).
As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, let us remember that thanksgiving is God’s will for us everyday!
