After the Message

Mama said, “Say thank you.” To this day, calls to see if I’ve written thank you notes. But, the thank you my mama was talking about was in response to something someone said or did for me – makes sense

I Thessalonians 5:18, Paul told us to give thanks in all circumstances - I get that we should be thankful people – lot to be thankful for, but to give thanks in all circumstances seems more than extreme

Surely he didn’t mean today’s circumstances…

Flood in Nashville, senseless murder at UVA, oil spill in Gulf Coast, bad economy, bomb scare in NY

Surely he didn’t mean "mine"…

No job, marriage in trouble, kids misbehaving, mortgage payment behind, scary medical diagnosis, etc

Really, Paul, I’ll give thanks for a lot of things I should be thankful for, but this?? They don’t make a Hallmark card for this

Only possible if we read the whole verse, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Without Jesus, no hope, no future and no reason to give thanks when times get tough. With Jesus, in the best and worst, we have hope and a reason to give thanks

So, we give thanks that we can be "pressed down but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed" (2 Cor 4:8-9)

Having a forest perspective - we get into bad situations and think, “how could God let this happen and not do anything about it?” He did do something about it and His name is Jesus.

Give thanks in all circumstances, not b/c all circumstances are good, but because God has redeemed the best and the worst in Jesus Christ.