Enough Mercy to be Thankful
“In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Sometimes around the holidays we can complain about the imperfection of our families: those family members with little to no faith, those living in sin, those who have wronged us or who hold a grudge against us. The holidays can bring out the worst and the best in people. But whether it is strained family relations, or anything else in life that causes us pain, we can always find cause for thanks. For instance with our family, even those we may not get along with or who have even hurt us are people created in the image and likeness of Christ.
Every person is an icon of the Trinity — a unique representation of God even in those we consider the worst of people. This is cause for thanksgiving and wonder.
Our own sins, normally a cause for sorrow and pain, have been paid for by the blood of Jesus. Even the most heinous of acts can be transfigured into pools of grace if they are given over to Christ. It is not that sin and evil are good, we do not give thanks that we sinned, but because God is bigger and greater than all the sin and evil of the world, we can rejoice because He is bringing greater good even from our sins.
This is cause for rejoicing, that God can bring good out of what is the worst in life, making our greatest failures His victory of love. If we can thank Him for His providence in the midst of our brokenness, just think how much more we will thank Him in all the areas of our life and in the lives of others.
Do I give thanks to God even in the worst of situations? Do I allow His love to transfigure my sins through Confession and by inviting Him into the moments of brokenness in my life?
God we thank you for your mercy that turns over the tables of sin and death in our hearts and transform them into pools of grace, we ask that you make us a people of thanksgiving, so transfigured with your mercy, that we shine forth your love even in the worst of situations. Amen.
Austin Smith grew up in Brandon, Florida. Before entering seminary, he attended Jesuit High School in Tampa and felt the call to be a priest the summer before his junior year of high school while sitting in solitude and silence. After graduating, Austin moved to Nashville for two years where he ministered to teens in middle school and high school with a group called the Love Good Apprenticeship Program. While in Nashville, his calling to priesthood was deepened, and after a year at Ave Maria University, he joined seminary. Outside of seminary, he enjoys shenanigans with friends, watching and playing sports, working out, reading fiction, adventuring, eating, and listening and analyzing music.
