Over the past two months, we’ve discussed believing God again and learning to recognize His voice so that we can obey His Word. But how do we continue living according to what God has said when our circumstances challenge what we believe?
The answer begins with knowing who God is. God is holy, love personified, perfect in His character, set apart from all creation, and worthy of our worship. Our obedience isn’t an attempt to earn His love. It’s a response to who He is.
Romans 12:1 calls us to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices, describing this as our spiritual worship. Worship extends beyond a church service. It becomes visible in how we live.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach His followers and remind them of what He had said (John 14:26). As we yield to Him, He transforms our thinking and empowers us to respond according to God’s Word rather than simply our circumstances.
As Thanksgiving approaches, consider one instruction God has already given us. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16–19, Paul tells believers to rejoice, pray, give thanks in every circumstance, and not stifle the Holy Spirit. The Greek word eucharisteite means “give thanks.” Thanksgiving isn’t reserved for favorable circumstances. It’s part of our ongoing worship and obedience.
But what does giving thanks accomplish when the bills remain unpaid, relationships are strained, or prayers seem unanswered? Philippians 4:6–7 provides an important answer. Paul instructs us to bring our needs to God through prayer and thanksgiving. He then describes God’s peace guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Thanksgiving doesn’t require us to deny our concerns. We bring them honestly to God while remembering His character and faithfulness. Gratitude reminds us that what troubles us isn’t the only truth about our lives. As God’s peace guards our hearts and minds, we can become more attentive to His Word rather than allowing fear, worry, or our circumstances to dominate our thinking.
In Philippians 4:8, Paul instructs believers to fix their thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. In verse 9, he calls them to put into practice what they’ve learned, received, heard, and seen. We bring our concerns to God, receive His peace, direct our thoughts toward what is true, and put His Word into practice.
Ephesians 6:15 describes having our feet prepared with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. While God’s peace guards our hearts and minds, the gospel of peace equips us to stand firm as we move forward in faith. We don’t have to manufacture that peace through our own efforts. Peace is part of the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our lives (Galatians 5:22).
This Thanksgiving, bring God what concerns you. Thank Him for who He is and what He has already done. Allow His peace to guard your heart, His Word to direct your thinking, and His Spirit to empower your response.
We don’t give thanks because everything happening to us is good. We give thanks because God remains good, and His peace sustains us as we continue walking by faith.
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
