I still remember sitting in my Grandma's kitchen as a little girl when she said, "You have to thank God not just in the good times but the hard times too." Grandma Jean passed away 10 years ago but I've never forgotten her words.
Recently, God is teaching me about thankfulness. It is the antidote to anxiety, jealousy, greed, and much more! I wonder what it would look like to be in a place where we don't have time to notice everyone else's popular reputation or new boots or (insert jealous thought here) because we're so thankful for what God has already given us. Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
This passage is interesting because it is often referred to piece by piece as we encourage each other to "Be anxious for nothing" or we pray for "the peace of God which surpasses all understanding" but we sometimes forget the essential piece that is holding these two verses together! It's amazing to see that prayer and supplication withthanksgiving are the key components that link the command "Be anxious for nothing" with the promise of the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding."
What does this tell us about thankfulness? First off, this passage shows that an attitude of thanksgiving plays a role in defeating anxiety. The answer to anxiety is to approach everything with prayer and an attitude of thanksgiving. Without this thankful heart, our prayers and supplications can become lists of things that make us anxious and our focus is on our anxiety and not on Christ. However, when we stop and consider all that Christ has done for us, and approach His throne with thanksgiving, this brings everything into perspective and our prayers are more focused on Christ and less on our problems. This shift in focus causes our anxieties to begin to melt away and leads to the peace of God (which surpasses all comprehension) because with thankful hearts we can place our hope in Christ and trust Him with whatever the future may hold. Thankfulness reminds us of how awesome God is, how deeply God loves us, and that He holds our future in the palm of His hand!
There are so many things that can cause us to be discontent or anxious. Are you discontent in your relationship status? Thank God for the relationships you already have and watch Him change your heart over time. Jealousy also easily sneaks into our day-to-day lives. When we find ourselves comparing and envious of what others have, let's remind ourselves of all the blessings God has given us and turn our focus back on Him. As our culture pushes materialism by slowly replacing the focus of Thanksgiving to Black Friday sales (or even Black Thursday Sales), let's pause and let an attitude of thanksgiving lead us into the Christmas Season with a contentment and peace which surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes, the circumstances of life make it hard to be thankful. I'm currently in the car finishing a road trip to PA where we drove about 25 hours. I feel worn out and sick and I could easily begin to complain. But, instead of focusing on my cold, what if I thank God for blessing me with family and friends that are worth driving long distances to visit? Even though I'm not feeling well, God reminds me of how much I have to be thankful for and it makes me realize I am living life to the full…and then some! (John 10:10)
What are you thankful for today? Send us an email to let us know. What are you asking God for in prayer? Send us an email to let us know. We would love to hear from you!
