We’ve been discussing how giving thanks is a command, and it is supposed to be our first response to EVERY situation. The Bible says:
“…giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Ephesians 5:20
Think about this—if we do what the Bible says and “give thanks for everything” including trouble—do you see how this gives us the upper hand with our enemies? The enemy sends trouble but if we have a thankful heart because we know the faithfulness of God—we are prepared for it.
A thankful heart is cultivated by knowing God for who He is—not who we make Him. After we are born again, we must also be constantly developing the attitudes of Christ. My friend, we cannot simultaneously have the attitudes of Christ and be unthankful. For example, let’s take the attitude of being “poor in spirit.” Failure to regularly give thanks for all things means we have forgotten our need to be completely dependent upon God, or poor in spirit.
Conversely, when we have a heart of gratitude to God we have an attitude of complete dependence on Him.
To have victory over the horror of sin, we must have the power of God. Failure to give thanks means we are ruled by pride and have placed ourselves in a position where God resists us—instead of empowering us. YIKE! The Apostle Paul wrote of this great danger in explaining why he was thankful for trouble:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Paul understood that affliction COULD keep him in a place of complete dependence upon God. Or, he could become prideful and fail miserably. Hard times produce a greater opportunity to display the proof of God’s presence; and thus, Paul had the mindset of thankfulness for even his affliction. This thought was such an eye opener for me.
When we view every hardship as a blessing, it prevents us from being proud and self-sufficient and we allow God to handle it and be glorified.
The last Beatitude addresses the remarkable attitude of Christ towards trouble. This attitude is a game changer. It rewires our brain. We find the power of the presence of God to be addicting. We find God’s victory in our life exhilarating. Of course, we still must fight our enemies, including our flesh, which only wants to live independently from God. But when we cultivate an attitude of thankfulness for our trouble, we don’t only GIVE thanks but—we LIVE in thanks.
We are thankful as soon as we awaken and begin to thank God before our feet touch the floor. We thank Him at the beginning of each prayer; we thank Him when we drive to work; we thank Him throughout the day; we thank Him when we lay our head down at night; and we thank Him for all the things that are going right—health, a job, heat in the winter, salvation, and even our breath. And as obstacles arise, we thank Him for the opportunities He is going to give us to shine with His strength, wisdom, and love.
Thankfulness in all things, especially trouble, necessarily draws us into the Almighty presence of God. It is in His presence we experience a life of great victory!
