“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God"— Philippians 4:6
I know we are living in crazy times in the world today, where there is always something going on, including all kinds of difficulties and challenges. But at the same time, how often are we thankful for the good things in our lives? Are we as thankful even when we find ourselves in these difficult times? While we are experiencing hardships and trails, we can be tempted to believe that we don't have anything to be thankful for. However, the Apostle Paul says: “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18). Notice that he doesn’t say “for everything,” rather “in everything…give thanks.” In other words, we might not necessary be thanking for every situation in our lives, but we should be thankful in (or during) every situation or circumstance.
God does not say to be thankful for the evil in this world, or for the trails of life, but instead in those tough times, He expects us to remember Him, and to remind ourselves that He is bigger than our difficulties. We should seek to find ways to be thankful. Even if we suffer a flat tire for example, we can learn to be thankful for a phone to call for help, or thankful we can pray for patience, or be thankful that we have a spare tire to get back on our way.
As we begin to remember that God is always in control, no matter our circumstances, this should motivate us to understand that there are always things to be thankful for, if we would simply take the time to look. Developing a thankful heart is the key to growing in our relationships, especially towards God. During those tough times we can be tempted to become negative and find ourselves complaining. I know, I have to remind myself constantly. Ultimately, there is always something to be thankful for. This week, consider the words of Psalm 107, where the Psalmist compares the works of God, and declares His praises. In how many tough situations can we also find opportunties to give thanks to God?
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