Have you ever wondered how hard it is to give thanks during a difficult season of your life.   If you are like me it’s very easy to focus on what’s going wrong in our lives.  We have a housing market that is declining, our country is in a recession, people are losing jobs, children are being abducted and abused.  Just turn on the news every evening and it becomes hard to believe that we really have anything to be thankful for.

Yet, this is thanksgiving season.  I think of that in two words “giving” and “thanks”.  Which means that in order to “give” there may just be a sacrifice on my part.  In other words, it often takes a sacrifice to begin to focus not on our own circumstances but on what we truly have to be thankful for.  Paul says it in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you  in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, it is often difficult to focus and give thanks to God in ALL circumstances but it takes a conscience effort to look at the good in any negative situation.  What is it that you have to be thankful for this holiday. Consider making a list of 25 things you have to be thankful for and then at the end of the list thank God for each of them.  I would bet that you would probably not be very depressed at the end of the exercise.  So offer a sacrifice and give God thanks during the recession.

Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for:

1. My salvation-thanks God I’m not going to hell!!!
2. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ – thank God I can talk to the Almighty 24/7
3. My children – yes they are a handful, but thank God I have to bundles of joy.
4. My RTR Church Family – thank God for a body of believers who continues to love and accept me just the way I am
5. My job – although stressful at times, thank God I can pay the bills!

Well this is only a few you get the idea.  What are you thankful for?

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Pastor's Blog.