Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Thessalonians 5:18
It is easy to feel thankful when everything in life is going well. It is easy to say “Thank you God for all you have blessed me with!” when life seems great and everyone is happy. However, it is not as easy to wake up and say “Thank God for today” when things don’t happen as you expected.
How do you respond to God when you’ve lost your job? Do you forget all that He has done for you? How about when your marriage is falling apart or when someone close to you has died? Do you blame God for your problems or run away from Him when things don’t go your way?
God desires you to run to Him in times of distress.
It is God’s will that we remain steadfast with a heart of thankfulness towards Him in all situations and circumstances. Remaining thankful in the storm shows God that you believe Him and you trust Him to do what He says He will do.
For example:
- When you feel the need to worry: pray and ask God to help you, then thank Him in advance for sending the answer.
- If you need to make a decision: pray and ask God for help, then thank God for sending guidance.
- While you are sad: pray for God to strengthen you, and thank Him for giving you joy.
The enemy loves to prey on our emotions when things in life don’t work out the way we believe they should. He will make us feel defeated, desperate, frustrated, depressed, and disturbed. The devil will even begin to plant seeds in our mind that allow us to believe that God doesn’t care about us. But that is not true. God does care. In fact, He cares so much, He is there to help! All we have to do is call on Him. God wants us to be so strong in Him, that we do not believe the lies of the enemy or fall for his tricks.
Don’t allow the lies of the enemy to keep you from God’s truth.
Is it easy to have a thankful heart when things go wrong and it seems like your life is falling apart? No. Trust me, I know. Being thankful in all situations does not mean things are not hard. It means that you choose to trust God despite what is going on around you.
One piece of advice Paul writes to us in the scriptures is to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). “Pray without ceasing’ means to never stop praying. Talking to God throughout the day causes you to constantly strengthen your relationship with Him. When discouraging things happen in life, being connected to God will help you to remain strong so that you are not easily broken by the things happening around you.
Consistent prayer is the key to your strength.
Being able to be thankful in all circumstances comes from a deep and intimate relationship with God. Knowing that God cares for His children helps you to understand that whatever is happening to you will not last forever. Even if the situation you are facing is a terrible one, be thankful for God’s presence that is with you to strengthen you to the end (Isaiah 41:10).
God tells you in His Word that He will never leave you, and you can trust Him to never forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Because He is with you, you can face anything the devil may through your way without fear (Psalm 118:6).
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
The good news is that with God, you will always have the victory. Because you belong to Him, He has your best interest at heart. No matter what test or trial you may have to face and overcome, as long as you stick close to Him, you will be just fine. The more you overcome with God, the more you will learn to trust Him.
You can have a thankful attitude towards God knowing that He is working out everything for your good (Romans 8:28). It may not seem like it now, but God sees what you are going through and He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Continue to praise and thank Him until you begin to see results in your life.
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Honestly speaking, if you put aside your feelings and consider your life, I’m sure there are many things you can be thankful for. I’m sure God has helped you many times in your life – even the times when you didn’t acknowledge Him. When you begin to think about those times, they become reminders of how God has helped you. Those small reminders of God’s goodness encourage you to keep moving forward despite what may be going on around you.
Some things I am thankful to God for are:
- Being there when I needed Him most
- Providing for me when I did not have food to eat
- Not giving me the punishments I deserve for the mistakes I have made in the past
- Strengthening me through the hardest time of my life
- Saving me from physical death and emotional destruction
- Protecting me from people who wanted to hurt and take advantage of me
