God's Will: Your Thankfulness
I sit across from people all of the time who are trying to figure out God's secret will. They want to know God's plans and the things that he has kept for himself. All the while they ignore the fact that many of the things in God's will he has already revealed to us in scripture. Rather than focusing on what we can't know, let's focus on what God has already said. Did you know that it is God's will for you to be thankful? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." That seems pretty clear!
God's will is that we would be continually rejoicing and telling him how thankful we are. In every situation, good and bad, we are to give thanks. Even when things are difficult, God is still using our situation to work in our lives. In 2 Corinthians 4:17 Paul writes, "this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." It's all about perspective. When we focus on God and what he is doing, we have plenty to be thankful for.
What are you thankful for?
We would probably all say that we are thankful for our salvation, our family, and our friends, but I want you to dig deeper. We have so much to be thankful for! I'm thankful for all of the things that God does to keep us alive every day. He has arranged the distance between the earth and sun to be just right... the orbit of the moon to be just right... and the tilt of the earth to be just right... all so that we can have life. What things do you take for granted every day? Help your kids see the value in the little things, because every good and perfect gift comes from God.
Family Activities
Idea #1: Try taking turns as a family sharing something your thankful for going through the whole alphabet from A-Z. Pray together thanking God for all the things you listed.
Idea #2: Get some magnets ready and clear off your refrigerator. Have each person in your family cut out a leaf and then write on it some of the things they are thankful for. Then put them up on the fridge to be reminded every time you walk by.