Happy Thanksgiving Break Trojans! As the semester is coming to a close, and we enter into this season of rest, I am reminded of the importance of gratitude. And not just gratitude for the big things but for the small things too.

One of the most referenced Bible verses during this season is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which states, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (English Standard Version). We put this verse on coffee mugs and t-shirts, we hear it recited in Bible studies and church, we say it offhandedly to friends and family, but although we may treat this verse casually, it is calling us to something far from casual, which is revealed in one often overlooked word. That word is all. 

Give thanks in all circumstances.

Jesus calls us to give thanks not just during the highs, not just during the lows, not just for the big moments, and not just for the small moments but in all circumstances. In short, He calls us to daily gratitude, but how is this practically achieved?

While it is often easier to show gratitude for the big things, these things do not happen on the daily. We do not graduate high school, get accepted to our dream college, get our first job, or get married every day. These moments just barely scratch the surface of the all circumstances 1 Thessalonians 5:18 points to, so displaying gratitude only in these moments is not living out Christ’s calling. Instead, at the heart of daily gratitude is a thankfulness for the small things.

To be clear, by small, I do not mean insignificant. I mean the moments in life that are easily overlooked and taken for granted. Moments such as waking up in the morning, arriving safely to work, receiving a thoughtful note, witnessing a rainbow on a rainy day, viewing a sunset with a friend, watching the falling of the leaves, taking a hot shower, eating a homemade meal, having late night talks with roommates, and laughing with loved ones. These are moments that regularly occur in our lives; however, it is important to remember that these moments are not guaranteed. It is only by the grace of God that we experience them.

As humans, we tend to spend more time worrying and asking than praising and thanking. We are constantly going, and more times than not, we fail to acknowledge the prayers God has answered before moving on to the next item on our list of worries. The truth is that we have so much more to be grateful for than we have to be anxious about. The fact that you are even reading this blog post is evidence of God’s faithfulness and a reminder that He will continue to be faithful in the future.

As we enter this holiday season, Trojans, I encourage you to take a moment to pause and appreciate what God has done and is doing in your lives. He is deserving of our daily gratitude, so let us take 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to heart this Thanksgiving and give thanks in all circumstances.