Giving Thanks When Life is Rough - Gospel Centered Thanksgiving
I’m a cup half-full type of person (or at least I hope so). But even the optimist can struggle to find life’s silver lining. Is there hope for the pessimist? Society doesn’t help us find the good in the bad, the diamond in the coal, the flowers after the storm. The noise of news and media mania only points our eyes to the coal, the storm, the bad. And then the positive is an afterthought, 20 seconds of copy at the end of the program. But God reminds us that the new-heart gives thanks for all things, the storm and the flowerfull effects. “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). Giving thanks for all things is done in Christ Jesus. “In Christ Jesus” puts the Gospel in our Thanksgiving and allows us to thank God in all things. Case in point, Paul is writing from prison! And so, considering we’ve been redeemed; we can thank God in all circumstances. I love the perspective of Pastor and Bible teacher, Matthew H
