1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NKJV) 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Give thanks in everything.
Think about those words. And no, this isn’t a message geared toward giving thanks because it’s the Thanksgiving Holiday in the USA, although it would seem fitting.
Instead, let’s take a quick look at something else about these verses that many of us have probably never seen before.
As I was reading through this, God showed me the first sentence, “see that no one renders evil for evil”, and then He showed me the beginning of that last sentence, “in everything give thanks”.
And He showed me that the key to doing that first part, not rendering evil for evil, is actually found in doing the second part, giving thanks in everything.
You see, if someone does evil to us, our first reaction in the flesh is figuring out how we can get back at that person.
But if we use God’s wisdom, and we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we won’t be caught up in revenge. Instead, we will give thanks for our blessings and let God sort out the rest.
No, it won’t always be easy. And there will be times when we might miss the mark and say or do something that’s not righteous. But as we grow and mature as a believer, we will get this, and those times when we lose it and lash out should become less and less frequent.
So today, if someone mistreats us or does us wrong, let’s stop and remember what God has commanded us to do. Give thanks in everything!
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-315-0902
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