Let us continue along the theme of “fret not”. If as Christians, we ought not to be anxious or worried about the hardships of this life, then how are we to respond to such experiences? Well, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 gives us a clue, it tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV). God’s word tells us, His believers, that we are continually encouraged through His word to be thankful. As a matter of fact, it tells us that this is “God’s will for us”.

Personally, when I realized that no matter what occurs in my life I should not allow myself to be overly anxious or overwhelmed, that no matter what, God’s presence can keep me, I then fully grasped why God calls on us as His people to “give thanks in all circumstances”. Yes, if we believe that God desires our best in all circumstances then even in the midst of the worst experience to befall us, we will trust in God and give no room to fear. We can truly give thanks in all circumstances despite the experience or the temporal outcome because God’s intent is not to destroy but to save. God’s goal is not to destroy our hope or to cause us to despair and chose a path that does NOT lead to Him. Rather, any path that steers us away from God is the work of the enemy. Satan want us to become disenfranchised with God, the enemy wants us to murmur against God, to become impatient, to be anxious and fret and eventually turn our backs against God.

However, even in the midst of the lost job, God is still there; in the stalled promotion, God is still there; in the owed money, God is still there; in the failed marriage, God is still there; in the wayward and disobedient child, God is still there. As long as God is still there, then if you keep seeking the Lord, He will hear you and deliver you from your fears (Psalm 34:4). He reminds us that He is with us, He says “do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)

Ultimately, we can be thankful in “all circumstances” as people of faith (in God), for God is there with us in all circumstances and therefore the path to peace, joy and righteousness is still there no matter what we face in this life. The apostle Paul shared his perspective “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35,38-39

So, don’t stop giving thanks, don’t stop trusting God in any of your circumstances, as He is always right there for you!