Thanksgiving with its turkey, travel, football games and family get togethers gives us a chance to stop and reflect on the things for which we are grateful. Stopping to thank God for our blessings is a good thing and I'm glad there is a holiday set aside for doing this.
If you want to take a step of maturity, however, give thanks in and for everything. And "everything" means not only for the blessings and the things that make us happy, but for the losses, the disappointments, the aggravations, the hurts and the things that send us to our knees.
It often is in the dark times, those moments we don't understand, where we question God. We don't hesitate to give thanks when something good comes our way, but we feel hurt and angry with God when he allows hardship or uncomfortable circumstances. We pray for the trial to pass. We pray for change. We pray to be delivered.
Obedience is to follow God's word, however. "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16 NIV) Give thanks on faith alone, trusting and believing that God never gives us a command we can't follow. "Thank you, Father, for I am grateful for your love, for your sacrifice, for your care and compassion."
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