For the past few posts we’ve been talking about how to shift our focus from life’s problems to God’s PROMISES. Today I want to talk about the importance of “thanksgiving.”
Giving thanks to God before we see the answer isn’t just a nice suggestion. It’s a command. Why you might ask? Simple … thanking God ahead of time shows Him we trust He has the right answer, grows our faith while we wait to see the answer appear, and keeps our focus on the answer He is going to provide instead of how sometimes hopeless the situation seems. Because, with God? The situation is never hopeless. Never.
Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. Are you His child? Do you have a genuine relationship with God? Do you want Him to be in control of your life? Then He is busy working ALL things for your good. Not some things. But all things and that includes the situation that seems hopeless.
Back to Thanksgiving. It’s hard to be thankful for an answer you can’t see…and one you don’t even know the details to. But, that’s part of trust, isn’t it? When we were younger and lived with our parents, we would come to them with our problems and then walk away, trusting they would take care of it, didn’t we?
That’s what God wants us to do as well. He wants us to come to Him, tell Him our problem, and then trust He has the answer and will take care of it. If our parents were willing to do that for us, how much more does God want to?
Thanksgiving can look different for each different personality God made. Some people (like me) love to sing and praise God that way. Or sometimes I like to list all the things I’m thankful for, because even on really hard days, I can at least thank Him I’m still alive, still have breath, have loved ones, a job, etc.
Thanksgiving is a mindset, a choice, but it’s also a command.
© Cheri Swalwell 2021