Here we are again. Another Thanksgiving Day is upon us. Another time of reflection and review. Another reminder of the fact that we should be people of gratitude for the multitudes of blessings we have experienced in our lives.

I realize that some would read that statement and think, “Wow, is he naïve? Does he live in the same world in which I live? Has he been living in some dream world in which everything is always nice and beautiful and clean and pristine? If he only knew…..”

Well, you’re right, I don’t know. For many of you who read my blogs regularly, I know you by name only. As a matter of fact, there are quite a number who read these weekly messages that I have never met, and will probably never meet. I am totally oblivious to what is happening your lives. 

This past year may have been a devastating year for you. You may have been bombarded by setback after setback, troubles beyond measure, problems which are continuing to wreak havoc in your life day after day. You may awaken each day to the lingering difficulties which have beset you, and these may be exacerbated by more difficulties added to the pile with unceasing regularity. And you might be reading these words thinking, “Really! He’s going to suggest that I be thankful. For what? Give me one good reason that I should be thankful for anything? Life has been nothing but one long series of painful, hurtful, heart-wrenching episodes, and there is no end in sight. Please, give me one reason to be thankful.”

I would like to suggest a couple of reasons. Let me begin my response by sharing a couple of verses from the writings of the Apostle Paul. First, from his letter to the Ephesians, he says, “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then, in his correspondence with the Thessalonians he says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I don’t mean to be overly simplistic concerning these two statements, as I realize that there is far too much conveyed here to cover in a brief blog. But let me draw your attention to two prepositional phrases which are extremely important for our proper understanding of this matter of thanksgiving. “In everything give thanks”; and “Give thanks for all things.” 

IN and FOR. And please note: In EVERYTHING, and for ALL THINGS. I have heard many well-meaning Bible expositors try to explain these two statements with less intensity than I feel Paul meant to convey. Does God really intend that we be thankful for every experience of life, no matter how painful it is? Are we to give thanks in the midst of those awful ordeals that catch us off-guard and unprepared? I believe the answer is a resounding YES!

Again, I don’t mean to sound simplistic, but I believe it all comes down to a matter of perspective. I am reminded of a statement found in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The first question addressed in the catechism is this: “What is the chief end of man?” Please listen carefully to the response: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Please, read that again, very slowly. Once again. 

Let’s focus our attention now on the first part of the response: “The chief end of man is to glorify God.” My ultimate purpose in life should be to glorify God, and in doing so it will bring a sense of enjoyment to my life. Thus, if we want to learn to be thankful in all things and for all things, we need to first and foremost learn that we are created in His image, and redeemed so that we might glorify Him always. This will result in unbelievable joy in the life of the sincere believer.

This, in turn, will enable us to truly and sincerely give thanks in all things and for all things, because we begin to understand that this is our purpose. Now, let’s get a little deeper. We experience the painful experiences of life due to the fact that we live in a broken, sin-infested world. We suffer due to this spiritual state. But as believers, we see beyond the pain and suffering of the here-and-now, and we look by faith into the hereafter. We glimpse, by faith, the glory of the eternal state, and we begin to see how insignificant the sufferings of this present life are when compared to that which we look forward to in the eternal realm. As a matter of fact, Paul stated in his letter to the Romans that the sufferings of this present life are not even worthy to be compared to the glory set before us in Christ Jesus.

Think about this for a moment as we bring this blog to a close. Have you stopped lately to focus your thoughts on the amazing love and grace of God that was displayed through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Could I encourage you to think about the grueling, agonizing brutality of these events? Then, might I suggest that you take all of your sufferings, the totality of your painful life experiences, and place them beside His. Is there any comparison? I would suggest not. We will never suffer as He suffered. And yet, His life was one of understanding that He would find the greatest joy in His obedience to His Father’s will for His life, which included all the agony and suffering. And He now enjoys the eternal blessings of that obedience.

This Thanksgiving, let’s not dwell on our experiences, but rather let’s focus on how we might be able to glorify Him in the midst of those experiences, and enjoy the blessings of His presence as we give thanks in all things, and for all things.

My prayer is that this will be the most memorable Thanksgiving Day ever for you and yours.