What are you thankful for?

If you haven’t already thought about this question, you probably will within the next few days (if you live in the States). In between stuffing turkeys, baking pies, getting together with family and friends, and watching football, we reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.

And some of us have a lot!

We have good food on our tables and reliable roofs over our heads. We stay busy at good jobs, or we spend our days with happy and healthy little ones. We have good relationships with our family and friends, and we know we can always rely on them. There’s plenty for us to be thankful for.

But for some of us, being thankful is not so easy.

We just got laid off, and nobody seems to even glance at our resumes. We’re living paycheck to paycheck, unsure if we’ll be able to pay the rent or buy groceries. We can’t find a man to settle down with. We can’t get pregnant, and if we do, we have miscarriage after miscarriage. Our husbands are leaving us. Our children are ignoring us. We’re estranged from family, and no friends seem to want to stick around. And if we do have anyone near to us, they develop some terminal illness. When we find ourselves in these circumstances and other similar ones, we don’t want to – we just can’t – give thanks.

The Bible sends us a different message. Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica,

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV

Paul writes elsewhere that we’re to be “abounding in thanksgiving”, and we’re to give thanks “always and for everything” (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20). Really? We’re supposed to give thanks when we can’t pay our bills? We’re supposed to give thanks when a friend is diagnosed with cancer? We’re supposed to give thanks when our husband has an affair?

We may not feel thankful for our circumstance, but we must be thankful despite the circumstance. Why? Because God is good. He is faithful. And He is generous.

God is good. David sings in 1 Chronicles,

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endure forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Our God is so good! And He loves you so much. It may not feel like what He is doing in your life is good, but He is working everything in your life for your ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

God is faithful. A psalmist once penned,

“We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your name is near. We recount Your wonderous deeds.” Psalm 75:1

Our God is so faithful! He has done so many wonderful things in the lives of His people, and He can be trusted to do even more wonderful things in your life.

God is generous. Paul writes to the Corinthian church,

“But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Our God is so generous! He generously sent His Son to die as a sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16). He has given us the inexpressible gift of His surpassing grace (2 Corinthians 9:14-15). He has given us victory over sin and death.

You may not be thankful for whatever difficult circumstance you find yourself in, but you can still give thanks to Him. Come into His presence and pray to Him about your circumstance, thanking Him for His goodness, faithfulness, and generosity in your life (Psalm 95:2, 100:4; Colossians 4:2). Thank God in advance for how He is going to use this circumstance for your good and His glory. And He will fill you with peace (Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 3:15).

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Psalm 28:7