As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, you will often hear the question "What are you thankful FOR"? To which we will rattle off a dozen or so predictable things. "Family, Friends, Home, Job, Food, etc, etc". And don't get me wrong, we should not only be thankful for these things, they are things we should be thankful for every single day, and not just one day of the week.

However, I think there is something that clouds our thinking a bit. What if you don't have a job? What if you've lost your home? What if a dear loved one has passed? It would seem fairly obvious that you may not feel that you have very much to be thankful FOR at all. And I think if we are all honest, how in the world can you be thankful FOR losing a job or home or loved one?

And that is the reason that I named this topic "What are you thankful IN" rather than FOR.

In all reality, the Bible seems to want us to learn more to be thankful IN whatever circumstance we find ourselves in rather than FOR our circumstances.  I think Paul stated it best in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Capitalization and bold mine):

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks IN all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

If we looked at Paul's situation through our own eyes, we might respond that he didn't have much to be thankful FOR. After all, he spent years of his life in prison. Was beaten and left for dead several times. He lost most of his worldly possessions. Lost his reputation among his brethren. I mean, come on, there's not a lot to be thankful FOR in that right? Quite possibly.

But I will tell you one thing for certain that Paul was thankful FOR. And that was his salvation that he found through Jesus Christ. And it is because of that one thing that he was thankful FOR, that allowed him to be thankful IN all of these situations and circumstances he found himself in.

He wasn't thankful FOR being left for dead, but he was thankful IN it because he knew who ultimately held his life in His hands. He wasn't thankful FOR being in prison, but was thankful IN prison because he knew Christ was there in Spirit with him.

So this holiday season, let's take this to heart. If your world is falling apart around you take heart. Maybe you can't find a way to be thankful FOR the situation. But if you have Christ as your Savior this thanksgiving, my prayer for you will be that you will be thankful IN the situation because ultimately, you are not alone.

Steve