Saying “Thank You” can be extremely difficult.
I am not talking about those times when we get gifts we don’t need or care for. That is easy. But I am talking about being able to thank God when life hurts.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul is challenging the believers in Thessalonica to “give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. The word “everything” has to include the good times and the not so good times, the happy moments and the sad moments, as well.
Sure it is easy to give thanks to God when we succeed, get promoted or get well. I say it is easy, yet often times we forget. Nonetheless, it is God’s will that we recognize and acknowledge that God is the one who has found pleasure in blessing us with so many blessings.
How about the difficult and painful moments of life? How and where do we find the strength to thank God? When we are weak and have nothing to offer, the Lord supplies us with everything we need so that we can continue to bring glory and thanks to the God Almighty.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have difficulty giving God thanks, you might want to watch the movie “Courageous”. It has inspired me. In the movie, a police officer loses his young daughter to death. With broken heart the father looks for help. As he talks with his pastor, the officer is challenged to be thankful for the years he had with his sweet daughter instead of being angry. Toward the end of the movie the father finds healing and the ability to thank God for his daughter. He goes back to the spot where his daughter had once asked him to dance with her. At the time, he was too embarrassed to join her. But, now, with tears in his eyes, he stands and silently does his part of the dance as he remembers his little girl.
