Thanksgiving: the will of God (revisited)

The last time Thanksgiving rolled around when I was actively blogging was two years ago.  I'm going to blatantly reuse that material (I'm thankful for archived posts!), and make a few edits to bring it up to date.  So without further ado, here's a leftover turkey of a post... don't forget the gravy.

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Thanksgiving.  I'm not referring to the Thanksgiving holiday that I'll be celebrating tomorrow... or the one I wish for you and your family. That is, not the one where we stuff ourselves with far too much food, loosen our belts (please, no unbuttoning of the pants - that's just wrong) to give ourselves breathing room, and watch the Saints beat the Cowboys.

No, I'm thinking of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How often do we struggle, trying to determine God's will for our lives? We search the Scriptures and earnestly pray, asking the Holy Spirit to give us direction, guidance, clarity as to what to do in a particular situation. And we're absolutely certain that we'd obey if only we knew what His specific will for our lives was!

But do we already obey His clearly-stated will?

• Are we "always" rejoicing? Or do we often lament our circumstances and complain about our trials?
• Are we consistently and constantly praying? Or are there times that we'd prefer God not be in our conversation?
• Do we give thanks in all circumstances? Or do we gripe and complain because we don't have what we want?

On a personal note this holiday, I am truly thankful to God for the many blessings He's given me:

• I'm thankful that He gave me a loving, godly wife to stand at my side during good times and during challenging trials.
• I'm thankful for the godly example set for me by my father, who passed away last month after suffering a stroke in July.
• I'm especially thankful that my father faithfully loved and served Christ and that he is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior.
• I'm grateful that God has placed me in a loving and faithful church family.
• I thank God for the challenges that He's put before me over the last several years; through them, He has grown my faith, my obedience and my love for His word.
• I'm thankful that I have work to perform, a place to live, clothes to wear and food to eat; though I sometimes struggle with wanting more than I have, I know He has given me enough.
• I thank God for giving me the burden to strive for the faith of the gospel and the truth of His word.

Tomorrow, as we celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones, let's remember to give thanks in all circumstances as we walk in the will of God in Christ Jesus!