When you are feeling frustrated, disappointed, or rejected—it can be difficult to also have a thankful attitude. Yet that’s the best time to do it. Something happens within when we thank God even when we are feeling down. We break through that self-pity barrier and are transformed into a beacon of hope, for ourselves first and then for the people around us.
The best anecdote for a down day is to start thanking God for the simplest of things. Eventually the Holy Spirit will take over and we will find ourselves amazed at all the blessings in our lives. Today take hold of the following 7 reasons to thank God and be changed from the inside out.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7).
We can’t physically feel God, but we can know His presence. There’s a sweet calmness and beauty in our lives when we slow down to sense God’s presence. All believers have the access to God’s presence, but not all have the capacity for His presence. If we fill our lives with busyness, we can miss His still, small voice to speak into our hearts. Thank God today for His presence in your life as you wait in silence before Him.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
We sometimes get discouraged because we can’t have everything we want at the precise moment we desire it. On many occasions God will make us wait and trust in Him instead of rushing us through a test, trial, or some type of faith stretching experience. Even when we don’t see the “how” of meeting our needs, we can trust in Him to work it out right on time. Thank God today for meeting all your needs in His perfect timing.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Many of us wear our Christianity well—we dress up when we go to church, we are careful to say the right words, and we make an effort to reach out to the lost. However in our sins, we were far in our hearts from being holy, righteous, or sanctified. Our Father sent His Son when no one was looking for Him—we were all seeking after our own desires. He could’ve left us in such a state, but instead He loved us. Thanks God today for loving you so much that He sent Jesus.
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
There are many people who will suffer throughout eternity for their sins. They were consumed with the desires of this world and followed the broad path to destruction. Those who were drawn by God to know Him are blessed to be given the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that will result in an incredible eternal life and hope. Thank God today for drawing you by His Spirit into the body of Christ.
“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer” (Psalm 17:6).
We cry out to our God and He hears us. Many people cry out to gods that have no ears to hear nor hands to move on their behalf. Yet they faithfully serve these deaf and mute gods for most of their lives. When you pray as a believer—the Lord hears and acts on your behalf. He longs to be in loving relationship with His children to bless as a good Father does. Thank God today for hearing and answering your prayers.
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
There are times when weakness seems to overwhelm our spirit, soul, and mind. We can easily succumb to it and fall short of the vision that God has placed on our hearts. Yet if we would tap into the hope we have in Christ through the Holy Spirit—we will find renewed strength to press forward. Our weakness becomes strong due to the refreshing hope that ignites the passion and motivation that first led us to follow after Christ. Thank God today for the inner strength He provides for you to move forward in faith.
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:9).
The saddest people in the world are those who lack a calling or purpose. They drift in and out of life always seeking the new thing; yet they never find it. The black hope of purposelessness continues to swallow up their motivation, passions, and energies. However for those in Christ—He sets eternity in their hearts that even when they are completely exhausted (spiritually, emotionally, and physically), the Lord sustains them with vision. Thank God today for the calling and purpose He has placed on your heart.
It’s a beautiful thing to lift up our hands in praise and thanks when God has moved in a miraculous and fantastic way. But it’s even more breathtaking to raise our hands in thanksgiving when life has let us down. Our response to God in the valleys reveals the depth of our love and confidence in Him more than on the mountain tops. Just be thankful…today.
Crystal McDowell is a writer, speaker, and teacher with a passion to encourage believers to know and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through practical application of God’s word.
Crystal and her husband, Marshall, raise their five children in the Bloomington, IL. As a freelance writer and editor for over 13 years, Crystal has published numerous Christian curriculums for Sunday School and VBS as well as many articles dealing with marriage, motherhood, and relationships. She’s a weekly staff writer for www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com as well as writing her own blog at http://crystalmcdowellspeaks.blogspot.com.