I have been thinking and studying about thanksgiving and why it is so important. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing what I am learning about the transformative power of thanksgiving. Scripture says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
That Scripture is pretty exciting when everything is going well for you, but what about when it is not; when you are suffering, and your world seems like it’s all falling apart, and you feel like you are being crushed by your circumstances? How can you give thanks in those times?
Well, Scripture does not say, “give thanks for all circumstances, it says give thanks in all circumstances. So, when we go through hard times, and we will, we don’t give thanks for the circumstances, but we do give thanks to God for giving us the strength, wisdom, and discernment that we need to get through those circumstances and to move forward in peace.
When you read the guest testimony on this website from my friend, Barbara, you will see an example of this. Barbara was in a horrific car accident. Her husband was killed, and most of the bones in her body were broken. When she woke up from her coma, she was in a double halo brace, could not move, and could not speak. She communicated by blinking her eyes. Her family put posters all around her room with encouraging scriptures on them and had all their friends praying for her. Many people, looking at her circumstances would have thought she was in an impossible situation. But what did Barbara do? In that condition, Barbara made a decision. Instead of thinking about her circumstances, she would think about 50 things she could be thankful for each day. You read that right-50 things. She was thankful for seeing the sunshine outside her window, for the nurses, doctors and aides who took good care of her, for her family, etc. By choosing to be thankful, her mindset was changed from despair to joy. Having that positive mindset helped to set the stage for her healing. Today, she functions well and lives her life to help others. God gave her all that she needed to move through her tragic circumstances and be victorious.
In the natural (vs. the supernatural) realm, how do we feel when someone is grateful to us for something we have done or given them? When someone expresses gratitude to me, I feel good inside and I want to do even more for that person in the future. Without the attitude of gratitude, those positive emotions are not elicited. So, even in the natural, thanksgiving has transformative power.
I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks. What are your thoughts about thanksgiving? You can let me know by scrolling to the bottom of the page and sending me a message.
God bless you this week.
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