A Heart of Thanksgiving

Although we may be living in arduous times dealing with unfavorable circumstances, we must not lose sight of the goodness of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

God is not only asking us to give Him praise when things are going well for us, but when disappointments, suffering, and failures arise, we still must thank Him. Keeping our eyes on the Lord will help us during turbulent times. We will find that we are not praising and giving God thanks for “the things,” but giving God thanks “in everything.”

Having a heart of thanksgiving requires us to walk in a posture of being grateful. Have you heard the saying, “Things could be worse?” It is true. When we focus on the Lord, He helps us to see the goodness all around us through prayer. The Bible says that we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. In our season of mourning and pain, there is a reason to give God thanks.

God is the lifter of your head. He is the only one who can restore your joy and your peace. When you begin to give God praise and thanks for all that He has done for you, you will start to see things through his eyes. He is the great comforter. I find peace in God’s word when He reminds us that He is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit. We can trust that even in these times, God will take care of us. He promises never to leave us or forsake us.

Whether you find yourself dealing with unimaginable grief, loss of employment, or experiencing sickness in your body, concentrate on God. Do not lose sight of who He is. Look to God in everything and allow Him to minister to you while you are in the midst of pain. Seek God in prayer, and His Holy Spirit will bring you comfort.

I have experienced many challenges in life, and one thing that helped me was creating a gratitude journal. I learned to write down things that I was grateful for even if they were considered insignificant. The more that I wrote, the more the Lord began to change my outlook on my situation. My focus shifted from what went wrong on a particular day to what I was grateful for. This simple exercise can help you to see things in a different light.

I do not want to diminish anyone’s situation. I heard someone say that this is a season of mourning because there have been so many unexpected tragedies and lives lost to COVID-19. It truly is a time to stay close to the Lord in prayer. But do not lose sight of who God is during this time of unbearable grief. He is our hope. He is our burden bearer. We pray that His unfailing love surrounds us and that He will be our strength.