“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)
There are few Scriptures for me that embody the spirit of Thanksgiving better than Paul’s words to the church at Philippi. Perhaps it is because this brief letter is written to thank these disciples of Jesus for their financial support they provided him. I understand that sentiment since I have written so many thank you letters in my time as a church planter many years ago and for the past 19 years as Executive Director of Mission Services. However, I believe this passage rings so true now for a much different reason.
Paul wrote these words from prison. Paul gave thanks to God even when things were not going “right.” The apostle easily found many reasons to see God’s hand moving, while others would dwell on all the things that they wished God would do!
I am sure that everything is not exactly as it should be in your homes and lives this year. We do not have to ignore this issues as we give thanks. It hurts when a loved one has passed away (and I have had many friends enter heaven during 2015). If you are like me, I can easily find so many ways in which I have not quite “measured up” this year. Still, I can be thankful, because God’s love is not dependent upon my perfection. No matter what is missing this week, we all can be thankful, because “The Lord is at hand!”
We are all praying for peace in this world in 2015. We are praying for those serving in the military and the mission field far from home. We are praying for friends to follow Jesus. We are praying for family members to find their way back to God. Let us never forget, if God is by our side, there is always much for which we can be thankful. You think about that!
