Why is it so hard to be thankful in life when something bad happens? Did the good things in life change? Did the bad circumstance change the blessings/goodness God has given us?
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalm 95:2-3
It’s a shift in perspective that causes us to focus on the negative thing. When things are going the way we want, we’re happy, we feel good. It’s easy to be thankful. Let something we don’t like happen then suddenly we’re having a bad day, we’re in a bad mood and we don’t feel like being thankful.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
But none of this changes who God is, His character, His goodness. I’m not saying all this because I’ve arrived or anything, quite the opposite! This morning we woke up to quite a mess in Landon’s room! He has a toilet in his room. Let’s just say he didn’t make it to the toilet last night. I wish I could say this was a once in a while thing, but it’s more like an every other day thing.
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Also, we accidentally left Landon’s closet unlocked last night. Landon’s closet has not one but two locks on it….for good reason. One of those reasons is safety. We keep his chest of drawers locked in the closet so he can’t climb on top of it and tip it over. And Landon LOVES to climb. The other reason we keep his closet locked is so he can’t remove every article of clothing and item from the closet and throw it on the floor which he also LOVES to do! So it was a little overwhelming to see the disaster in his room this morning!
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
1 Corinthians 4:15-16
So today, if I’m honest, it was a little harder to come up with something to be thankful for. I’m human. But today I am choosing to be thankful for Landon. I’m thankful for his strength, his physical health, his energy, and his smile. He helps me focus on what’s really important. He helps me remember Who gives me strength every day. I can do nothing on my own. He reminds me to have an eternal perspective. One day it will all make sense. Landon reminded me today that true thankfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances. It is based on who God is. And God is good all the time.
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
1 Timothy 1:12
Your friend,
Tiffany
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