Making and Maturing

“…give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus””
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tucked away at the end of 1 Thessalonians we find a simple but challenging command: “give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This command is straight forward enough, but in the real world we might have a real problem with it. Assuming that the term “everything” means “everything,” we may find ourselves in a theological pickle.

Of course, we are rightly happy to give thanks for God’s good gifts. We give thanks for our families, for our homes, for our vocations, for our nation, even for our food. But those are only some things—some circumstances. What about the rest?

When we suffer, it is much harder to give thanks. It hard to give thanks when we are sick, when we face financial difficulties, when we lose a job, when we receive a dire prognosis, or when we lose a loved one. We must be honest in acknowledging the brokenness of the world and the difficulty of enduring trials of various kinds. For this reason, “give thanks in everything” surely doesn’t mean “pretend trials or easy.”

What is God actually commanding us to do? We find help in the rest of the verse which is the explanation of why we should give thanks in everything: “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God’s revealed will for us is that we would interpret every circumstance of our lives in the light of Christ Jesus. In Christ we find the key to viewing our hurts from a different perspective. Commenting on this verse, John Calvin notes,

“…even in our afflictions we have large occasion of thanksgiving.”

Why? Paul assumes the sovereignty of God and the active work of Jesus in the world. The will of God in Christ for us is that we would see in every circumstance we face his greater purpose. We might do this because of three specific truths.

1. Give Thanks for Trials in Light of Justification

Whatever we are facing, Jesus is still the Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead. No sickness, geopolitical crisis, or dirty look can change our security in him. The certainty of the gospel equips us to see that God is still faithful. Even when we suffer, there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

2. Give Thanks for Trials in Light of Sanctification

Not only did Jesus die for us, he also ordains every circumstance for our ultimate spiritual good. This logic is developed more thoroughly in passages like Romans 5:3-5 or James 1:2-4. Perhaps Paul is thinking of that bedrock promise from Romans 8:28—all things work for the good of believers. Calvin took it this way. He explains, “For what is fitter or more suitable for pacifying us, than when we learn that God embraces us in Christ so tenderly, that he turns to our advantage and welfare everything that befalls us.” We can give thanks because whatever we face we know God will use it for our spiritual benefit.

3. Give Thanks for Trials in Light of Glorification

Of course, Jesus isn’t done. We look forward to our glorification. When we die, or when the Lord returns, we will say goodbye to our frail, mortal bodies and enjoy resurrection unto eternal life. Our ultimate home is the New Jerusalem, where every tear is wiped away. All sorrow will be seen in the light of God’s glorious plan for creation. So we can give thanks, even as we suffer, in anticipation of the end of that suffering.

No doubt there is more we could say. Perhaps it is worth noting that if we aren’t giving thanks in everything, then we are likely complaining about those notorious some things. Paul’s command equips us to move from complaining (whether we voice it or not) to faith. Yes, trials are hard, but by faith we believe that God is working through them.

So this year at Thanksgiving what do you have to be thankful for? Everything.