Thankful in All Circumstances?? How??

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Apostle Paul teaches that we are to "give thanks in all circumstances". That seems like a challenging endeavor to give God gratitude in ALL circumstances. We certainly can perceive giving thanks when everything is good in our lives, but when we hit a speed bump in life, that is when it is the most difficult to see anything positive, much less, give thanks.

Paul gives the key to not losing heart no matter our circumstance in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "[16]...we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Focusing on the "unseen" in the midst of our circumstance is the key. The "unseen" is where we can place our thankfulness...

• Thankful for the eternal.
• Thankful that our earthly, difficult circumstances are temporary.
• Thankful that the chaos of this world is temporary.
• Thankful that Christ, who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.
• Thankful that there is a greater plan than ours.
• Thankful that this life isn't our whole story.
• Thankful that this life isn't our destiny, but instead, our destiny is eternity, peace, and wholeness.
• Thankful that we are not alone in this journey towards eternity. God is with us.

When we fix our eyes on the unseen, eternal hope and promises of God, we can always find a focal point for thankfulness in all circumstances. It is God's will that we experience peace, joy and confidence in all our circumstances as Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

So when we are in the midst of difficulties, let us remember to fix our eyes on the unseen, for there we can find an eternity of thankfulness to give.
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