Living a thankful life
I
am a person that has been changed by living a life of thankfulness.
Learning to live a life of thankfulness didn’t happen over night, for me it was like planting a garden; preparing the ground, planting the seed, watering it, removing the weeds and tending it. Just as gardening doesn’t instantaneously produce a bounty of ripe vegetables so was my journey of thanksgiving. It was a decision and action that took patience and perseverance. Yet it’s been fruitful and worth the effort in the long run.
You might ask, how do you get to a place where you can give joy in the midst of sadness? Where you can be thankful even in sorrow?
Have you ever met someone like that... a thankful person? They have buried two of their own children because of genetic diseases that took their babies lives at an early age. And yet in their sorrow they respond in worship to God. How do they do that? Where does that kind of grace-filled response come from?
Or maybe you’ve met someone who was in a horrific car accident that left their body broken and paralyzed, but they thank Jesus they are still alive another day to be His message of hope to those around them?
King David was a guy who faced difficult situations, yet he chose to be thankful. David’s enemy was King Saul and he meant business as he pursued David with the purpose of killing him. Saul was threatened by him and his solution wasn’t mediation or conflict resolution. It was to kill the guy. So David ran. And you can read these stories in 1 and 2 Samuel. Saul chased David relentlessly. Yet in the midst of life’s struggles, David gave thanks in Psalm 107.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
Because of the faith I have in God, just like King David and the daily choice to choose thankfulness; I too can praise God even in the midst of struggles. And it’s not a fake praise. I’m not shoving all my emotions down until one day they erupt and spew onto those around me. It’s a confidence and assurance I have found in God. I can trust Him. He always keeps His promises. He never lets me down. My choice is to praise Him and be thankful in all things. I am a different person because I have chosen to see life from the viewpoint of thanksgiving.
In a world full of chaos when promises mean nothing, days seem full of darkness and genuine relationships are scarce, I pray you would open your heart to God who is trustworthy. I hope you will start today with the seed of thankfulness. Look around you and give thanks for 10 things. Go for it. Trust me, you will feel better afterwards.