Stay thankful no matter what's going on

We’ll celebrate Thanksgiving in America this week, but the times seem pretty bleak right now with all that’s happening in our nation and around the world.

I’m not just talking about political strife, COVID, empty shelves, natural disasters, or just plain evil. While evil will increase over time and take a lot out of us, there’s still hope it will all end and life will be better (2 Timothy 3:12-13; Matthew 24:4-13, 21-22).

But this article isn’t necessarily about the present evils. It’s about how we should still be thankful despite all that’s going on around us, and we shouldn’t let ourselves get so distracted by the external forces that we forget about or even blame God.

We’re to be thankful in all circumstances, good or bad because God even uses the bad for our good (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 1:2-8; Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). Therefore, we’re to present our prayers AND petitions to God with thanksgiving to gain peace despite our surroundings (Philippians 4:4-7; Colossians 3:15). So, what are some things we should be thankful for?

First, we should be thankful for the common, everyday blessings of life we tend to take for granted but which are critical for sustaining life, including our daily bread and even each breath (James 1:16-17; Acts 17:25; Genesis 2:7; Job 7:7; Psalm 39:4-5; Matthew 5:45; 6:9-13).

Second, we should be thankful for others (Philippians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:9). From the beginning, God knew we needed companions with whom we could interact on a personal, special (as the human species) basis (Genesis 2:18-25). Like animals that congregate in herds, flocks, packs, etc., this human relationship extends beyond the intimate spousal relationship, but God desires that all relationships include him and be based on his providence for each relationship to attain the greatest success (Romans 12:9-16; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-14; 4:2-6; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 1:3-9; Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Third, we should certainly be thankful for God’s patience in not treating us as our we deserve (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Psalm 103:8-12; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Peter 3:8-9). Thus, we should thank him that Jesus paid the wages for our sins (John 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24-25; Romans 6:3-9). Although I could find no verse stating we should be thankful for forgiveness, praise and thanksgiving go hand in hand, and several verses do say we should praise God for it and the relief from guilt it brings, along with all the other great things he does for us (Psalm 100:1-5; 32:1-5; 103:1-5).

Our Thanksgiving holiday is based on the great things God has done for America – a land rich in resources and human diversity and talents by which he meets our needs as well as the needs of a large part of the world. So we should be thankful as Americans, but we should also live as God wants so we can continue to have fellowship with him and receive the blessings (Deuteronomy 8:1-10; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11; Proverbs 14:34; Psalm 34:12-22; Ephesians 5:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].