The Importance of Thankfulness

As I was thinking about a theme for this week’s blog post, the subject “thankfulness” kept coming to mind. I wrote about this topic over a year ago and reposted the entry several months ago, so I didn’t think this was the best time to share the post again.

I tried to think of another subject but kept drawing a blank. Praying for a moment, I asked God to help me figure out what I was supposed to write.

I looked around my partially cluttered desk for inspiration and noticed one of my devotionals, Jesus Calling. Since I hadn’t read today’s devotion, I thought the entry would give me some encouragement and possibly spark some fresh ideas.

As I thumbed through the pages, I quietly remarked to God, “if the devotional is about thankfulness, then you will hear no arguments from me about reposting the blog entry.”

Here are a few lines from today’s devotion –

“Thankfulness opens the door to my presence…I want you to learn the art of giving thanks in all circumstances. See how many times you can thank me daily: this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings. It will also cushion the impact of trials when they come against you.” (excerpt from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, page 215)

If you are someone who thinks God is not listening, let me tell you, he hears more than you think.

I hope you enjoy this week’s blog post.

Thankfulness

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT Bible)

Recently, a dear friend was telling me about some obstacles she and her family are facing. Very frustrated and feeling overwhelmed, she asked me for some advice on how to deal with her circumstances. I shared several strategies with her, such as prayer and patience, and then I brought up the T-word – Thankfulness.

Often times, we express thankfulness for things like presents, open doors, and tax refunds. We are thankful to be alive and for our loved ones, but how often are we thankful for life’s tough situations?

We often react to painful experiences by isolating ourselves, shutting down, or lashing out, rather than being drawn to gratitude.

Take a moment to consider the last time you were thankful for a frustrating circumstance or a devastating loss. Was it hard to come up with a time when you were? For some of you, it may be easy to be thankful in tough times; however, for many of my readers, thankfulness might not come as easy.

In my case, I can remember several times when I did not feel like being thankful and reacted out of my pain. I was able to be thankful after the situations were resolved, but I was miserable in the meantime. Then, I began to learn the benefits of embracing gratitude DURING my challenges.

What, you might ask, is the benefit of thankfulness when you are struggling to pay bills, angry at your spouse, or mourning a loss?

I’m glad you asked.

Thankfulness makes it easier to find solutions, to forgive others, and to treasure memories. It helps you breathe easier, work harder, and love more. Gratitude helps you smile and laugh, even when the world seems to be against you. It helps you find peace and joy. Thankfulness helps you find clarity and truth, instead of being stuck in your overwhelming problems. It is a wonderful weapon against discouragement, hopelessness, despair, loneliness, anger, fear, self-hatred, and so much more.

So, the next time you face a difficult situation or an impossible circumstance, try taking a deep breath and finding some things you can be thankful for while you are going through your struggle.

Although thankfulness may not fix your problem, it can help you persevere through it.