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Presented by Lisa Bishop
How am I supposed to be grateful when life hands me lemons? How can I be thankful when life is hard? Have you ever asked yourself that?
How can you be thankful when you are experiencing conflict at work or are overlooked for a promotion? When finances are tight, your dreams feel delayed, or when you have prayed that same prayer a million times, and your circumstances don’t seem to change? It may not be easy, but it is possible. God’s word instructs us to do more than just find the proverbial silver lining. God teaches us to be thankful in challenging circumstances because he has proven himself faithful even when life is hard.
Philippians 4:6-7 are familiar verses we often quote, but do we let them instruct us when life is sour?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
We often get the part about not being anxious, presenting our requests, and praying in every situation, but we tend to gloss over a key call to action—with thanksgiving.
Why be thankful when hardships happen? Because when you are thankful in hard times, you are promised peace! Now let me just say we are not called to be thankful for all of life’s challenges that come our way per se, but to give thanks because we know God is working in our circumstances.
And this is also not a call to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and muster up a pretense that everything is A-OK. You are allowed to lament when things go awry. Gratitude and being disgruntled can coexist. The key is not to let the grumbling overpower the gratitude. Get real with God but also remember his character. He is for you even if you don’t feel like it. Your feelings don’t always tell you the truth, only God’s Word is true and that is why you must renew your mind with the Word and pray with thanksgiving. As you pray and remember God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, the peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ.
If you are facing a trial right now, I want to remind you to stand firm. God is with you and will not allow your needs to go unnoticed or unaddressed. It may be hard but keep your eyes open and your heart attuned to how he is working on your behalf, even in this very moment.
Hang onto the truth of God’s Word to get you through hard times and be thankful.