The Bible tells us to give thanks to God for everything. For the most part, I would say that the majority of Christians do a great job of thanking God for the good things in life. Such as landing that new job, sicknesses being healed, prodigals returning to the church, and even making that elusive green light. But where we often come up sort is remembering to thank God for those things that enter our lives that we classify as “bad”.
Ephesians 5:20 (ESV)
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Are not the very things we consider to be bad still a part of everything? Since that is the case then we should even be willing to thank God for them too. It seems to be a strange idea but when viewed through the eye of scripture it actually makes a lot of sense.
You see the Bible tells us that all things work for the good of those who believe. The text does not say all good things but simply all things. Meaning that whatever comes our way, good or bad, God is able to use it for our good.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
That is the very reason we should give thanks for everything. Even the bad. No matter what you are facing or how bad it may seem to you, God has a purpose in it. It is for your benefit or even the benefit of someone else that you will one day be able to impact because of what you went through.
Look at the life of Joseph. A man who faced many bad days throughout his life. Yet every bad day and all the bad places he was forced into led to the whole nation of Isreal surviving a great famine. God used a whole lot of bad to create a whole lot of good for Joseph and his entire family. Even saving the entire nation of Egypt as well. Giving Joseph a reason to give thanks to God for everything including the bad times.
Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Or what about Paul and Silas who found themselves locked in a dark jail cell one night. Imprisoned for preaching the name of Jesus and even beaten for it. It would seem like a hard time to give thanks to God but that wasn’t the case for these men. Still, they praised God loud enough for all to hear and that very night there was a mighty move of God. One that in turn led to the salvation of a jailer and his entire family. They didn’t give thanks because they knew what was coming. Paul was simply practicing what he preached and giving thanks to God for everything. Even if that meant for the bad things like finding himself sore and lying in Jail.
Acts 16:22–23 (ESV)
22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
Acts 16:25–26 (ESV)
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Acts 16:32–34 (ESV)
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
As I write this very article my family is walking through what many would refer to as a bad time. Our whole house has been hit with COVID-19 and is currently on the mend (praise God!). It could be a time of sadness and gloom. A thankless time without a praise to be lifted.
However, we have chosen to view this time through the lens of scripture and give thanks for everything. Yes, we are all sick but we are all sick together and able to spend two full weeks at home with each other. Time that we always say we would love to have, but would never normally have the opportunity for. So even in this bad time, we give thanks to God for drawing us together.
I do not know what you are going through right now. These could be the best times of your life. Or they could sadly be the worst. What I do know though is that if you are a believer God is working this time for your good. So be glad in your situation and give thanks to God for it. You may not be able to see the reason to be thankful right now. In fact, you might not even see it for years to come just as Joseph didn’t. Just know though that God has a purpose for what you are facing. There is a reason to give thanks during your situation. Praise the Lord on the good days and even on the bad.
Help someone else see that there is still a reason to give thanks to the Lord no matter how bad their situation seems. This article could be the very thing someone you know who is struggling needs to see today. Help them find it by taking a moment to share this article. To share simply click one of the icons below. Thanks for sharing and God Bless!
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