One day, I was meditating on 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I thought about people facing challenges, reading this verse and thinking, "How can I be thankful for this?... How can I be thankful for losing my job?...How can I be thankful for this sickness?...How can I be thankful for this unexpected bill?" But if you really look closely at this verse, it isn't saying to be thankful for everything, it says be thankful in everything. If you lose your job, it means you have the attitude that says, "Thank You, Lord, for something better that's coming my way." If you're sick, your attitude is, "Father, thank You that by the stripes of Jesus, I am healed." If you have an unexpected bill, you say, "Thank You, God, that You are my Provider. And because I am in covenant with You, You will supply all of my needs according to Your riches in glory!"
Life is going to be challenging at times. Scriptures warns us that in this world, we will have trials and tribulations. There will be things we are tempted to complain about, but the key is to find something bigger than that thing to focus on. There's nothing bigger than our God, and when we focus on Him, the things of the world seem very small in comparison.
Did you know studies actually show that people who practice gratefulness are happier people? It's not typically natural to be grateful during difficulty; it's something we all have to work on. But when you practice it, you will become better at it and be a happier person!
Today I encourage you to be deliberately grateful. Maybe start by writing down three things to be grateful for every day. You'd be surprised at how much your perspective changes when you start thinking about the things you are grateful for. Remember, you may not be happy about everything, but you can be grateful in everything!