“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NVI))
Our lives are determined by the decisions we take every single day. And enjoying life to the fullest begins with a decision to be thankful. Believe me, that decision affects everything, even the overlooked areas of our lives.
As an example, maybe it takes you a long time to drive to work due to traffic, as used to happen to me. Many people would grumble because of that. However, for me, it was a precious time to pray and listen to God’s word on an app while driving. I got so used to it that I would get frustrated when the commute took me a short time. Wow! I loved that! I felt God’s presence in the car. It was only God and me.
You can be thankful in traffic—thankful that you have a car, thankful that the car is running properly, thankful that you have a job, and thankful that you have a few extra minutes to spend time with God while you’re stuck in traffic.
I do believe it’s the most important decision ever: be thankful for everything. When we discover that, when we see life through this perspective, we can see God’s hand in all circumstances we go through. We can clearly see his gentle wings embracing us and protecting us tenderly. Invisibly, though.
It’s a habit you must put into practice as you begin to thank God for the seemingly small things in your life, it will help you focus on the positive and everything you do have. Consequently, you will also be much happier! Remember, all it takes is a decision.
In conclusion, I want to encourage you to make a list of the ordinary, everyday things you are grateful for in your life. Make a determined decision to have a more thankful attitude in your day-to-day life. Plus, leave some blank lines for the unexpected or unpredicted things that, certainly, were not on the list and, therefore, didn’t turn out as you wanted to. You should be thankful for even those things when you know God has the control of everything. Start the day thanking God for the good things, then for the unexpected things. This will help you stay focused on God’s goodness.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for all the things you’ve been doing for me and my family. I know you have control of everything, and you have the best for me. I want to thank you for your great love and mercy. Thank you for your sweet presence and for listening to my prayers and answering them. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
