Thanksgiving is a time you get together with family; hopefully, it’s a time when you think about what you’re thankful for.  It’s a time (though it’s should be all year long) when we express our thankfulness to God.

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” – PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 (NLT)

This has been our series’ core scripture.  Paul presses on in “the race.”  That means he has the ability to surrender and give up, but he chooses not to.  He could say the race is too long or too hard and surrender to the race…but he doesn’t.

We all have the ability to sit down and give up, but God’s asking us to stand up and continue to press on.  Despite circumstances in our life, we tell the race it’s not too big to defeat us.  We’re going to accomplish what God has called us to do.

What’s the secret ingredient to make that happen?  I believe thanksgiving is the secret ingredient that holds it all together.  If you’re not thankful, your perspective is all off.  It’s trusting God on things and letting Him know you trust Him.  It’s a humbling of one’s self, submitting what my opinion of that I think is better to what God’s opinion is.  Thanksgiving is your weapon to defeat any and all circumstances; it is the essence of faith in action.

“Thanksgiving is your weapon to defeat any and all circumstances.”

Thanksgiving literally calls things that be not as though they are.  Even when you don’t feel like you’re forgiven, you can thank God that you’re forgiven.  In the midst of sickness, you can thank Him for your healing.  In the midst of contradictions of life, you can thank God His Word is still faithful.  Let’s look at Paul and Silas:

“Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship.” – ACTS 16:25 (TPT)

This verse says that Silas and Paul were undaunted.  How many of us – after being beaten, put in chains and thrown in prison – would be daunted (would find things difficult to deal with)?  “God, this is not what I thought You told me this was going to look like!”

But Paul and Silas sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened.  They were actively, outwardly praising God, giving Him thanks.

Personally (though it’s not stated in scripture), I believe Paul and Silas were praying for the people who put them in prison; I don’t think they were praying for themselves.  I think they were praying about those who didn’t know Jesus that they might meet Jesus.  They understood that their captors’ salvation was more important than their freedom from prison.

I’m sure they didn’t necessarily feel like praising God, but they chose to go directly against all their natural feelings.  They deliberatively exercised their will to enter into praise.

If you want to be free from your strongholds, you don’t hide in the wilderness…you run to Jesus.

Paul and Silas could have complained, “God, this isn’t fair!  All we’ve done is what You’ve told us to do, and now we’re in prison!  Why did you allow this to happen?!”  This is where you find where your faith is…in the midst of the trial.

“Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” – COLOSSIANS 2:7 (NLT)

Let your roots grow down into Him.  Don’t just find out about Him…get to know Him.  Thankfulness is a natural result of knowing who God is.  If we praise or give thanks by faith instead of complaining through pain, we will experience God’s miraculous power too!

“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.” – COLOSSIANS 1:11-12 (NLT)

We live in the light and share in the inheritance that belongs to His people.  Always thank your heavenly Father!  You’ll have the endurance and patience you need for anything the race of life throws at you!

To watch the Nov. 28, 2021 message on which this post is based, CLICK HERE.