Thanks Forever Thing

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I read lately that being thankful for everything that happens in his or her life to a Christian believer is listed in this section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as one of the evidences that a Christian is indeed “filled with the Spirit” – Ephesian 5:18.

That is not all. Not only for everything, but in everything, we should give thanks to God. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The article points out that these two commands are easy to obey when the living is easy, though we might easily forget to do so. But when the Lord is allowing us to hurt for a while, thanksgiving becomes hard. It is hard while we are experiencing the difficulty and just as hard when it has passed with no relief in sight. The two small prepositions “in” and “for” are different in New Testament Greek as well as in modern English, and God really wants us to learn how to thank Him both during and after the hard experience. Because He has allowed it for a good purpose!

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Paul says in Romans 5:3-5 that we can even “glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”. Patience and real love will come to characterize a habitually thankful Christian. It’s “thanks for everything” and a “thanks forever thing.” In good times and bad times, in prosperous times and leans times, thanks be to God!

James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various  trials, (that is, “various testings”); knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In Christ, Brian