I used to do Thankful Thursdays and sadly, have gotten away from it. For the month of May I have been teaching a lesson in the Preschool Sunday School where we have been focusing on being thankful and I feel as if it is something that is important for us to focus on at any age. So often we get busy with our daily lives that we can forget to take a few moments and thank God for all that He has given us and all that He does for us. Even in our prayer time. I notice sometimes when I am praying that I spend more time asking than thanking. Does that sound familiar?
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
This is one of my absolute favorite verses but it is also one I constantly struggle with. I sometimes fail at it (horribly, oh so horribly) but it reminds me how I am supposed to act and what I am supposed to do. I know it can be hard sometimes. How can I be joyful when X, Y, Z happened? How can I give thanks when just this week…. Fill in the blank. It is hard, trust me I know it is hard but we are to be thankful and joyful because of what Jesus did for us, when we did absolutely nothing to deserve it. When you look at just the current situation that may be causing you to be less joyful than you know you should be, it can be way too easy to develop a bad attitude. But when you take a step back and look at every single moment leading up to the current times of trouble? It is a little easier to be thankful and joyful when you realize ALL that God has blessed you with and how He has been at work in your life.
No matter what you are going through, there are things to be thankful for. Do bad things happen? Yes. But I would not know what a Blessing was if 1. God had not chosen to bless me with it and 2. If He had not chosen to give me hardships as well. Would we know what a sunny day was if we never experienced a rainy day? By prayerfully and consciously being thankful every day I truly believe that we will begin to notice that we are a lot happier. And over time prayerfully thanking God will come much more naturally.
How can we be thankful in all circumstances? I think this is one of the most difficult parts of this verse. How can we find something to be thankful for when we listen to the news? How can we find things to be thankful for when someone is sick? How can we be thankful for something when someone is really hurting? We are thankful because we have Jesus. The fact alone that Jesus died for my sins so I can have eternal life is a reason to be thankful no matter what is going on. Is it easy? Nope! But we know that God works for the good in ALL things for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). It doesn’t say some things, it says ALL things. So we can have hope that no matter what we are going through, we can be thankful because as long as we remain in Christ, God is working for good in it.
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So, each Thursday I am going to make a conscious effort to post some things I am thankful for.
I am thankful for Willow, the kitten. I thought getting a kitten would help Pancake be less lonely but currently Pancake doesn’t like dealing with her, haha. Willow likes getting in Pancake’s bed and Pancake immediately jumps out. They will be friends one day!
I am thankful for fresh flowers. I absolutely love the beauty of having fresh flowers in the house. They make me happy just looking at them.
Colossians 3:15-17- ‘And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’
