The Will Of God
By Pastor Dan Chun
People ask me often, “What is the will of God?”
Here it is in our verse for today: “Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 )
How many people know this is the key to the will of God? Well, you do now. ☺
Why would this be Godʻs will? Because I believe that in God’s infinite wisdom He knows the advantage of saying thanks in all circumstances. He knows that always having a thankful heart makes one constantly positive. They can see Godʻs hand in everything. As a result, negativity encounters the “antivirus” called gratefulness and repels it. Pessimism meets the “vaccine” of thankfulness and blocks the disease of despair. Toxic ungratefulness can lead into bitterness but then finds a barrier of constant gratitude that thwarts the nagging personal poison of “Why me, Lord?”
When one always looks for a reason to say mahalo to the Almighty, it makes one aware that God is there ... and over there .... and up there .... and near here. Giving thanks in all circumstances can bring joy, hope, and peace because we see God more in everything.
Being thankful is an attitude. Itʻs a CHOICE to be thankful. It doesnʻt come naturally. But after we decide to make it a discipline, you will be amazed to see how much more steady and resilient your life will be.
Try upping your gratefulness every day. Remember itʻs the first step in the Ignatian Daily Examen, which many in our church practices. The five steps of the Daily Examen spell the acronym GRAFT:
Give thanks.
Review the day hour by hour.
Apologize.
Forgive others and receive forgiveness.
Turn it all over to God – your worries, sufferings, plans.
Our Bible verse says we should not have only one day in the year of thanksgiving .... but 365 days of thanksgiving. Oh, a holiday of Thanksgiving is indeed good because it can remind us that we should be thankful to God for all of the other days of the year. It can be like a New Yearʻs resolution that from here on I shall live a lifestyle of being thankful. It can be a springboard for a better life.
Why arenʻt we thankful all the time? Maybe too busy, too buzzed, too belabored by the burdens of life. But when life gives us a flat tire, know that gratitude is a wonderful jack that can lift us up. Ah yes, the jack of Jesus. He lifts us higher. May we fall on our knees and say thank you to the one who deserves our gratefulness.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Prayer: Lord, thank You for all of the great things You have done for us. Forgive us for being blind to or being ignorant of Your presence and Your desire to bless us and love us. Forgive us when our antenna canʻt seem to detect Your love. We commit to be thankful constantly, every day, for it is really for our own good ... and it is .... Your will. In Christʻs name, Amen.
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