Thanksgiving Day is already here which is crazy because it feels like 2021 just started … or maybe it’s lasted forever? No matter, it’s been interesting that’s for sure. But, nevertheless, here we are. The day set aside each year to give thanks, eat good food, and see all the awkward family members that you manage to avoid the rest of the year.

With all the change, I started to think about the idea of giving thanks. And more specifically, why we make such a big deal about giving thanks on this singular day. This brought me to 1 Thessalonians 5:18,

But wait. What if my circumstances aren’t great? What if I lost my job? What if I don’t have a family to be with? What if I just lost someone that I love? How do we give thanks when life is hard?

Let’s look at the thanksgiving being displayed in Luke 22:19. While in the upper room, Jesus “took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

First, we have to dive into a quick Greek lesson:

I know, you’re thinking, why does this matter? Well, look at Jesus’ prayer again.

Jesus gave thanks, fully knowing what was to come. He thanked the Father for the bread that represented His own body that was about to be broken and brutalized for sinners. Jesus gave thanks despite His circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Jesus expressed His thanksgiving or eucharisteo to the Father for the grace and glory that was to come because of the cross which caused Him to have joy amidst His horrific circumstances.

Jesus was able to have eucharisteo in every circumstance because He knew there was a future grace to come. His hope was not found in His surroundings, rather, it was rooted in the knowledge that God had a bigger, better plan.

We have a future grace and it’s because of Jesus that we can stand in joy and thanksgiving regardless of the circumstances. Hebrew 12:2 encourages us in this way:

Jesus had His sight fixed on the joy set before Him. Because of that, He was able to endure the cross. Notice, Jesus wasn’t focused on the cross, He wasn’t focused on the circumstances or what was happening around Him. Instead, He was fixed on the future grace to be revealed.

The same applies to us. If we focus on our difficult situation, we won’t be able to endure it. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, however, we can give thanks knowing that Jesus and His saving grace are our ultimate joy.

With this joy, you can have the ability to endure hard things. Take a look through Scripture and you’ll be continually reminded of the promises that far outweigh whatever you’re going through.

Because Jesus endured the cross, rose again, and defeated death, you can experience the true joy of being reconciled to God forever with all the promises that accompany this new status.

This doesn’t mean you won’t face trouble, because you will. Money will be tight, relationships will be damaged, and life will sometimes just be hard. But every hardship is a reminder to look to Jesus and to live a life of eucharisteo.

With that in mind, let every day be a celebration of thanksgiving. Give thanks this year because of the eternal joy found in Christ.

By Emily Rico