If there is one thing that I learned as a child, it is to be grateful for what you got. Yep, we didn’t have a lot, but my Grandmother always told me to give thanks in all things.
Although she had many harsh realities surrounding her, I would often see her on her knees crying out to God. I now know this is what built her strength.
My young life was filled with hurt, confusion and rejection. Yet, she modeled how to build a strong tower within myself for me.
This strength-building started with prayer to God and thanksgiving, for all things.
Although in this life there will be painful things to deal with, you must learn to find the good from it all.
Why Give Thanks in All Things
There are many things that I complain about or cry about today, but I make a strong effort to recover fast. Simply because I know that complaining and crying will not change my circumstances.
This is why we want to give thanks anyway. We have to trust that our voices will be heard by God and that He will heal us.
Give thanks when you cry out to God, for He will give you understanding and peace of mind.
Do this because thankfulness builds faith, and faith encourages a positive mindset. It is the positive mindset, energized by thankfulness, that changes things.
Every adverse situation in your life can only get better when you stand firm in your faith and when you resolve to make a change.
It’s not that the circumstances will disappear all at once, but in a mindset of thankfulness your inner person will become strong and steadfast.
Thankfulness and strong faith make it possible for one to create good from the bad. God himself promises this in His Word,
Romans 8:28 – And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
Oh, I know that this doesn’t always take away the hurt or the pain, but it will heal the mind, heart, and soul.
How to give thanks in all things
As I said earlier, my Grandmother modeled thankfulness in my life. When younger I couldn’t grasp her lessons because it was so difficult to believe considering all of the hell around me.
At least to me, things seemed unbearable, yet she kept this frame of mind. I can remember seeing my grandmother on the side of her bed praying.
It seemed so out of place considering our circumstances. Nevertheless, she did get on her knees at night.
The memory of seeing her do this showed me the most important way to give thanks. Today I know that developing a heart of thankfulness requires prayer and faith in a God who is outside my current worldly circumstances.
It is how a mother can continue to provide, perform, and patiently be there for her entire family every day. You must learn to look at the relationships that you influence directly as gifts.
Simply because they are gifts to you from heaven, God is the ultimate giver of life. Every person that He has put in your care is affected by your presence in their lives, model thankfulness for them with prayer.
We can give thanks in all things
Consider the millions of people around this world who are alone. When you look outside yourself at these things you will notice that there are many.
Just having others to touch and care for is a reason to be thankful, for there are many around you who do not have loved ones in their lives.
Therefore, when we start with prayer and self-examination, we teach our spirits and emotions to follow after God’s thoughts. Such a habit naturally develops a heart of thankfulness.
It reminds me of an old poem that I read long ago; the person grumbled about how they didn’t want to get out of bed that morning because it was too cold. Until later that day, they saw a homeless person who slept on the ground. Then the person complained about their old shoes until they saw a person with no feet.
when I look at the people in my family who are still trapped in a life of sin and trouble, I know that God has smiled on me.
I give thanks for He has changed my life circumstances. He has blessed me with a good caring husband and healthy children. He has kept me from danger and given me everything I need to live this life.
We really can learn to give thanks in all things, if we just learn to count our blessings and remember to name them one by one!
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A big thank you to Adrienne Brown of Homeschoolmomof8 for writing this article.