“With regard to giving thanks, how do we reconcile certain Bible verses?”

May 2010 – Grace & Truth Magazine

QUESTION: With regard to giving thanks, how do we reconcile 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20 and Romans 8:28?

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– Ephesians 5:20 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28

ANSWER: God expects His people always to be thankful. He has given Christians every reason to be thankful! Colossians 3:15 tells us to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts,” and then ends with the exhortation “and be thankful.” Two verses later, in Colossians 3:17 we have a positive command we could add to the verses quoted above: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Thankfulness of heart is a precious attitude, but the Lord wants us also to give expression to this thankfulness. Speaking of our prayer life, in 1 Timothy 2:1 Paul tells us “first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.” We should not take for granted the fact that God makes all things work together for our good as Romans 8:28 above tells us. Rather, this assurance should be a constant cause for both being thankful and actually giving thanks to God.

The three verses posed in the question hardly need to be reconciled, for they are not at cross purposes with one another. We can give thanks in every circumstance of life, because we are assured that they all work together for our good. We have God’s sure word for this. I am thankful the verse does not say that “we understand how all things work together for good,” because many times I don’t understand. Did Job ever find out the purpose for his tremendous sufferings? Probably not, but countless others have benefited from them and God brought blessing to him through them.

To give thanks “in everything” and “for all things” presents a difficulty for many. But why should it? No matter what the trial is, we are in the Lord’s good hand and are kept by His power and mercy. Is His grace not sufficient for us as well as for the apostle Paul as he struggled with his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:2-10)?

Let’s follow the example of our Lord Jesus too. Facing a crowd of five thousand men plus women and children, He could give thanks for the five barley loaves and two small fish about which His disciple had disparagingly said, “What are they among so many?” (Jn. 6:1-14).

When saddened by the fact that the cities in which He had done most of His mighty works did not repent, He prayed, “I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Mt. 11:20-27).

Taking that which comes across our path from our Father’s hand as part of His blessed purpose for our good, will enable us to give thanks for all things and in every circumstance of life. May God grant us grace to do this rather than complaining about our lot in life!

Answered by Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.