Give Thanks. 1st Thessalonians 5:18 Thankfulness despite hardships doesn't mean we are grateful for the difficulties and suffering, even though sometimes they work for our good. This third command makes us focus on what we have rather than what we lack. Joy is what we find in God. Prayer is what we share with God. Thankfulness is what we give to God. Prayer reflects our appreciation of knowing God is with us in all circumstances. Thanksgiving is our attitude, including acts of gratitude expressed to God for "every good and perfect gift that cometh down from above." Nothing that happens to us is accidental. God's will is designed by Him for us, and through us, He can work effectively for the benefit of others. Everything from the warnings we give to the blessings from our service is a reason to be thankful that God is willing to work His will through us.
When we are committed to doing God’s will, rejoicing, prayer, and thankfulness become normal parts of our lives. We are not told to be thankful for everything but in every situation. Life’s circumstances, interactions with people, responses to government demands, and adversity are not always things we can be thankful for. However, knowing that adversity may be God's will at work gives us reason to be thankful. This attitude results from rejoicing in the Lord and praying according to God's will.
When we observe what God is doing in other people's lives, in the church, and around the world where the Gospel is shared, we begin to find countless reasons for thanksgiving. Paul was thankful for the salvation of the Thessalonians and for their openly demonstrated faith, love, and hope. It takes a spiritual mindset to see good in all things and to recognize that everything works together for good in ways we might never expect.
We cannot always discern God's will, but because we know God and can “practice the presence of God,” we can give thanks. We understand that everything God does is good and results in good things. While we are still responsible for doing God's will, knowing our Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect example—one who always obeys God's will—assures us that what God allows to happen to us and through us is effective by His power and authority.
Five Things Outside Our Control. 1StThessalonians 5:19-22 Since we were saved by God’s grace, the Holy Spirit resides within us. God’s Spirit witnesses to our spirits that we are children of God. Spiritual matters are alive and genuine because the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, reveals Christ, and shows us things to come. The fire of the Holy Spirit should never be extinguished (quenched).
This is also true in gatherings of Bible-believing Christians. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher, Guide, Controller, and Motivator of gathering life. He has given spiritual gifts to each person to benefit everyone in the assembly. We must not ignore or consider the gifts He has given as unimportant. Doing so would quench or extinguish the fire in the lives of God’s people who form the assembly. These gifts are meant to benefit the body, strengthen the testimony, encourage the saints, and through them, glorify God.
“Do not quench the Spirit,” “Do not despise prophecies,” “Test all things,” hold fast to what is good,” and “Abstain from… evil” are fundamental practices to be taught, practiced, and upheld in each assembly. The activities of an assembly depend on our commitment to do these things gladly, consistently, and with dedication in the house of God.