In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV
"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

We had a very powerful speaker last week at church. A pastor from another church talked about him and his wife dealing with the suicide of their son. He said the only way to deal with the loss was to give thanks to God in everything. This seems very counter-intuitive and hard but I see it is very biblical. He said he reached a point where he believed God was telling him either he had to give thanks or he would become bitter at God. That was only the two choices.

He came to realize his questions of why to God where him really wanting to control the situation. He wanted God to tell him all the facts so he could tell God where God was wrong.

He also said that Christians where quick to tell him that God didn't cause but God only allowed it to happen. He said this was of no help to him. To him there was no difference between cause and allow.

In all the things they struggled with he said the only thing that gave him and his wife peace in the raging storm (a peace that is beyond understanding) was in giving thanks to God.

Matthew 11:6
⁶ And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
 
To him this was a meaningful verse through his troubles. Blessed is the person who is not offended with Jesus even when things to not work out the way you wished. John the baptist was a great prophet but at the end of his life he was in prison and was about to be killed and Jesus says blessed is he who is not offended because of Me or blessed is he who is not offended even when thing don't work out your way.

Help us to give thanks to you God in every situation
Help us to trust you God
Help us to listen to you God
Help us to hear your voice God