“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
As a middle-class American, I have much more than the vast majority of people in the world. Even when I feel like my bank account is running low or that I don’t have as much as some of the people around me, I have so much more than I deserve. That became very apparent to me after spending some time with extremely impoverished children in Honduras. What struck me was their overwhelming gratitude at everything we did for them or gave them. When you don’t have much, you’re all the more grateful for what you do have.
That kind of mindset of grateful changes everything. Whereas kids in the US may throw a tantrum if they don’t have the newest gaming system, those kids in Honduras could be more than happy with a ratty old soccer ball. The difference is in the perspective. It’s a difference in gratitude. When you have a perspective of thankfulness, you’ll never feel like you don’t have enough or that you deserve better or that your situation is hopeless.
When we focus on the blessings we have and the things we can be thankful for, we can find contentment in all situations. I believe that the root of happiness is gratitude. This is what Paul says from this verse in 1 Thessalonians. He says that thankfulness is God’s will for us in Christ. His will is for us to maintain a posture of humility that allows a perspective of gratitude so that we may be content in all situations.
If we spent more time giving thanks than complaining about what we don’t have, our lives will be infinitely better and more than that, pleasing to God.
Prayer
Father,
Humble me. Help me to see how much I have and how much I’ve been blessed with. Help me to be thankful in all situations.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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