The idea of gratitude is a pretty easy concept when things are going great. It’s easy to praise God when we and those we love are healthy, we have plenty of money to pay the bills, we feel secure and loved, and we have all our needs met and even many of our wants.
But when life takes a detour from our plans; when it doesn’t go as we had hoped or desired…this is when gratitude can be hard to practice.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I’ve been reflecting a bit on these verses–
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20)
These verses also come to mind–
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:15-17)
It is clear that gratitude is an integral part of the true believer’s life. However, knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are two very different things, aren’t they?
As I’ve been considering trials (both big and small), I’ve been pondering how we can be thankful in them and for them. (And please keep in mind that I am just looking to scripture for this answer. I do not have this perfected and I am trying to remind myself of these things as much as I am reminding you!)
So what can we thank God for in any trial?
We can thank Him for spiritual growth. Any trial we encounter can be used by God to conform us into the image of Christ. In fact, this is the whole gist of Romans 8:28-29–
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The good that God is working in our lives is to make us look more like His Son. As one who is easily distracted back to temporal things, my expectation for God’s good is way too...small. I want His good to be fixing my problem, making me more comfortable, and providing miraculously for my needs and perhaps even giving me a few of my wants. BUT this is not what is promised. We are promised that He will work all things together for our spiritual benefit.
This will mean so much more to us if we get our eyes off this world and set them on things above (Colossians 3:1-4). Keeping our eyes on this world, filling our minds with things of this world, living for this world will only bring discontentment and frustration.
What else can we thank God for in any trial?
We can thank Him for His abundant grace and His abounding small and large mercies. Have you experienced these things, as I have? Sometimes they are evident as you walk through the deep, dark valley. Other times, you only see them once you get to the other side. But God, in His Providence, often provides just the right bit of encouragement or the blessing you need at just the right time. His timing is impeccable. He provides for His own in ways that are unfathomable. While we must expect persecution and trials in this life (John 15:19-20; I Peter 4:12), we also can be confident that God will walk with us and provide all we need on our difficult journey (Psalm 9:9-10; John 14:27; Hebrews 13:5).
And is there anything else?
We can thank God for His Word. Have you ever been in turmoil of soul and opened the Bible and there was exactly what you needed? The words wash over you like a balm and calm you. God’s Word is not just any old book. It’s God’s precious and holy Word, given to us for all of life and godliness (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3) Including for those times that are just really rough. Memorizing verses exponentially helps us in times of darkness, because we don’t need to read the Word but it’s already there in our hearts. So those nights when we toss and turn, with anxiety-ridden minds, we can take our thoughts captive by bringing some of the verses we memorized to the forefront and meditating on them.
While there are probably other things to thank God for in trials, I’d like to focus on just one more.
We can thank God for His family. When we are going through a trial, the family of God surrounds us with so much care and love. As we live our normal lives, we don’t think to express our concern and love for one another, but as soon as someone faces a trial, we are there, aren’t we? Ready to do what we can to ease the burden. It’s the wonderful blessing of Christian love (I Corinthians 12:26; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19 Romans 12:10).
I would like to recognize here that some trials are acutely private and so, in these times, we do not get the blessing of this Christian love. Some of you are going through things you would never share with anyone. Struggles and circumstances that are deeply personal and not evident to others. These may be the most difficult trials of all.
As we consider this idea of thanking God in all things and for all things, perhaps it’s important to remember that it’s an intentional choice that needs to be made each and every day. For most of us (me!), it’s our natural bent to complain or to whine. But God wants us to be thankful. Not just at Thanksgiving but always in all things and for all things. May we reflect on this as we begin the holiday season.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
AMEN!
Thanks be to God!