It’s easy to be grateful when life is going the way we want it to. When prayers are being answered, doors are opening, and everything seems to be falling into place, thanking God comes naturally. But what about when life isn’t going the way we hope?
Sometimes we spend so much time looking at what we don’t have, what hasn’t happened, or what we wish God would change, that we forget to look at everything He has already given us. I’m learning that gratitude isn’t just thanking God when life is good. It’s thanking Him in the middle of the hard days too. It’s looking around and realizing that even if everything isn’t the way I want it to be, there is still so much to be thankful for.
There are prayers God has already answered that I once cried over. There are people in my life I love. There is food on the table, a place to sleep, another morning to wake up to, and little blessings I sometimes overlook because I’m focused on the things that are going wrong.
The Bible says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV). It doesn’t say to be thankful for some circumstances. It says to give to thanks in every circumstance. I may not understand why something is happening (or not happening). I may not like where I am right now. I may even be praying for God to change it. But I can still thank Him for what I have today.
When I stop focusing so much on what is missing and start noticing what God has already given me, my heart begins to change. Gratitude reminds me that God has been faithful before. It reminds me that He is still with me now. And if I can trust Him with all the things He has already brought me through, I can trust Him with the things I’m still waiting on.
Life may not always go my way, but God is still good. So today, instead of counting everything that is going wrong, I want to count what I have been given. I want to thank God for the big things, the little things, the answered prayers, and even the ordinary blessings I sometimes take for granted.
I may not have everything I want, but when I really stop and look around, I realize how much I already have. And for that, Lord, I am grateful.