“ Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”--1 Thess. 5:16-18
I recently said,”For the Christian giving thanks should be as natural as breathing”. However, there are times when we can actually struggle to breathe or to express our gratitude. Things aren’t always normal and we sometimes act out of character due to some difficulty. If you are going through tough times and finding it hard to give thanks, here’s something that might help:
An article in Senior Living says, Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. That’s because he always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, “Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this.”
Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, “We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this!”
Tough circumstances often make giving thanks a real challenge. And today, on a day when thankfulness is in so much focus, people around our nation and our world are experiencing unspeakable pain. So how, then, can we fulfill the mandate laid out in today’s Scripture?
While our situation might make it difficult to give thanks to God, one thing we must always remember is that God is good. And because of that, we have confidence in tough times that it won’t always be like this. A better day is coming.
When that becomes your hope, thankfulness is a natural response. So give thanks today not because of your circumstances, but because you have a God who loves you and gives you hope for better days ahead!
