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Do you think it’s realistic for us to be able to thank God for the missing pieces of our lives? I believe not only is it realistic, it’s the only way we’ll know real peace and contentment in our lives.
God began showing me a few years ago that the missing pieces were actually a blessing. Why? Because without them I might have been lulled into thinking I was self-sufficient and never seen my true needy state.
I recognized that the missing pieces of my life had eventually driven me back to God, and as a result, God was able to take the brokenness of my life and use even me for his glory. I could see that it was because of the missing pieces that I now have the ministry I have and the joy of knowing that there is eternal purpose and meaning in my daily life. And I began, slowly, to thank God for the missing pieces.
Now, let me assure you that God is not expecting us to celebrate the missing pieces, to leap for joy, to throw a party, to pretend it doesn’t hurt or matter. But he is asking us to be thankful even for the missing pieces, to understand that those areas of emptiness and unfulfillment can become instruments of grace in our lives.
I’m sure you’ve heard these verses before, but we need to be reminded of what Paul wrote us concerning thankfulness:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 5:19-20: Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please remember that the man who wrote these words had many missing pieces in his life. He was persecuted severely, put in prison, unable to go where he wanted to go—there were many things in his life that were not easy to swallow or understand. Yet, he still says we should give thanks in all circumstances.
I want to encourage you today, if you’re struggling with the missing pieces of your life, to just thank God for them. You may not feel thankful but do it anyway as an act of obedience and love to Jesus. That’s the first step you need to take in order to find fulfillment in spite of the missing pieces.