The Lodestar

Since the missing object of this sentence is God, we may read this verse as “Give thanks to God in all circumstances.”

But the question that troubles most of us is whether we can thank God for all the circumstances that we go through, as this verse suggests. It is easy to thank God when things go well, but what about situations that are not so pleasant? The expression “in all circumstances” dictates that we should be thankful to God for all circumstances, whether good or bad, desirable or undesirable.

There is an old Chinese parable about a villager whose house bordered a forest where a barbarian tribe lived. He was not wealthy; his only valuable possession was a horse. One day, his lone horse ran away. He was so disappointed. A few days later, the horse returned with ten wild horses, making him happy at the unexpected wealth of eleven horses in the place of just one. Misfortune hit again when he fell and broke his leg as he tried to ride one of the wild horses. The next day, the king summoned all the able-bodied men of the village to go to war against the barbarian tribe in the deep forest. However, he was exempted since he was not fit for war. The villagers suffered severely in that battle; only a few returned alive. But his life was saved since he was excluded from the conscription.

What circumstances should he thank God for, and what should he question divine wisdom about? If he isolated the events from each other, he would thank God for the good things and blame him for the wrong things. But the whole story leads to thanking God. In real life, we never have the entire story at any point in time.

Thanking God in all circumstances is an act of faith. We thank God for the sad things that happen to us because we believe in his goodness and affirm that he has a purpose in all that happens to us. We must affirm with Saint Paul that “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). This faith that God is at work in our life, all things, good and bad, are purposed by him compels the children of God to thank God “in all circumstances.”

Reflect on your own life and consider how you can cultivate gratitude in all circumstances. Trust in God's purpose and strive to thank him even during challenging times. Join us in embracing a faith that acknowledges his sovereignty and goodness in every season.

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