"In everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"In our journey, it is vital to our souls that we fill our hearts daily with the encouragement of God’s Word. How easy is it in our culture and lives today, to try and run the race all on our own strength, getting caught up in one thing after another, depending on ourselves to make it through the day. In turn, we can often find ourselves running out of steam, vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks and weakly attempting to overcome obstacles we encounter. Just like a car we drive, we must fill our tanks with God’s Word, otherwise we will be running on physical, emotional and spiritual empty.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 contains one of the most powerfully promising instructions for our lives. “In everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Being a teacher and a mother of six, I have much to be thankful for and many opportunities to apply this scripture to the plethora of difficult situations that arise. Here’s an idea for a practical way we can take action and apply this to our hearts:
- Get a 5x7 card and write down 10 things you are grateful for in your difficulties. For example, perhaps your spouse, son, daughter, etc. has deeply hurt you or disappointed you. Maybe your coworker has been unfair to you, or your job is lacking in satisfaction in pay. You may find it challenging to find something to be positive about in the circumstance, but try! For example, I am so grateful that my spouse didn’t walk away from our marriage. I’m thankful my daughter isn’t on drugs. I’m thankful that I have a coworker to share the work load in the office. I’m thankful I have a job.
- Put your Praise Card somewhere in high visibility; your car, near a computer, bathroom mirror, etc.
- Thank God twice a day for the 10 things, morning and evening.
- Every time you think of something critical, replace it with a thanksgiving item from the list. Make sure you don’t mention or speak the negative thing you are struggling with. Our minds automatically tend to dwell on the immediate problem. Have your list ready, look at it, and speak life in thanksgiving immediately. Now you're replacing the negative thought with a thankful one!
- Continue to practice giving thanks for 30 days until it becomes a habit. You will see the incredible changes that take place in your heart, attitude, perspective and life as a result of speaking thanksgiving.
God has already us His Word and the grace to put it into action. It’s amazing to see the power in the heart that has resolved to be grateful!"
(Note: This is not my work. This is the Passion Pursuit. I am simply making it available to any reader as well.)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 contains one of the most powerfully promising instructions for our lives. “In everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Being a teacher and a mother of six, I have much to be thankful for and many opportunities to apply this scripture to the plethora of difficult situations that arise. Here’s an idea for a practical way we can take action and apply this to our hearts:
- Get a 5x7 card and write down 10 things you are grateful for in your difficulties. For example, perhaps your spouse, son, daughter, etc. has deeply hurt you or disappointed you. Maybe your coworker has been unfair to you, or your job is lacking in satisfaction in pay. You may find it challenging to find something to be positive about in the circumstance, but try! For example, I am so grateful that my spouse didn’t walk away from our marriage. I’m thankful my daughter isn’t on drugs. I’m thankful that I have a coworker to share the work load in the office. I’m thankful I have a job.
- Put your Praise Card somewhere in high visibility; your car, near a computer, bathroom mirror, etc.
- Thank God twice a day for the 10 things, morning and evening.
- Every time you think of something critical, replace it with a thanksgiving item from the list. Make sure you don’t mention or speak the negative thing you are struggling with. Our minds automatically tend to dwell on the immediate problem. Have your list ready, look at it, and speak life in thanksgiving immediately. Now you're replacing the negative thought with a thankful one!
- Continue to practice giving thanks for 30 days until it becomes a habit. You will see the incredible changes that take place in your heart, attitude, perspective and life as a result of speaking thanksgiving.
God has already us His Word and the grace to put it into action. It’s amazing to see the power in the heart that has resolved to be grateful!"
(Note: This is not my work. This is the Passion Pursuit. I am simply making it available to any reader as well.)
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