1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” That can be really hard! It’s one thing to be thankful when life is going our way. But what does it mean to be thankful when life hurts?! First, it’s a paradox. As followers of Jesus and citizens of his heavenly kingdom on earth, we can hold two truths equally: that life really hurts AND God is really good. Second, gratitude is a discipline we practice. Being genuinely thankful when life hurts takes effort on our part. Third, gratitude is a gift we receive from God. In other words, embracing the paradox that life is hard and I am blessed, while practicing the human discipline of expressing thanks, even when we don’t feel like it, puts us in a position to receive God’s gift of a joy-filled spirit.
In addition to the Psalm 92 Challenge (Reading Psalm 92 at 9:02AM and 9:02PM
every day), try making a gratitude list each night before bed. Write down 10
things from the day that you are thankful for. The list doesn’t have to be
profound or deep. Just let the Holy Spirit call to mind some things from your
day that you can say “thanks” for. Give it a try! I promise, it can change your
life. If you missed yesterday’s sermon you can watch it on YouTube or listen to the podcast.
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