Greetings in Jesus’ Most Holy Name!
It’s so easy to thank people and even God when life is good. But when problems arise and people persecute us, ‘thank-you’ is the last word that comes out of the heart. And yet, God’s Word commands us to give thanks in ‘EVERYTHING’, for this is His will for us!
“Everything”?? – But how can I thank God for those situations that seem hopeless, difficult and downright painful? How can I thank God for people who seem irritating and almost get on my nerves? How can I thank God for the death of my loved one? How can I thank God when I don’t ‘feel’ thankful?
We cannot let our feelings control our lives. God desires that we walk by faith and not by sight. The only prayer that pleases God the most is this – ‘praising’ and ‘thanking’ Him in the midst of the storms in our life! When we thank God in this manner, we acknowledge that He is God above all and in control even of life and death. When you thank God specifically for a particularly difficult situation or person, you are inviting God into that situation or person, trusting that He will do what is best, for He can do ALL things.
There are no co-incidences in life. God has destined every situation and every person connected to you right from the moment of your conception for just one purpose – to experience His presence and to teach us lessons in life! It is His perfect will and plan to have each of us communicate and fellowship with Him in order that our wrong attitudes are corrected and perfected by His transforming love. We take so many situations and people in our lives for granted and only begin to realize their true worth when we lose them. Choose to be thankful rather than grumble, because you will notice that your attitude will soon reflect as your way of life – in your thinking, in your speech and in the way you deal with situations and people. One sure way to check our attitude is to check our speech; whether oral or written. Few days ago I met a person who’s very religious and was on his way to a prayer meeting. He stopped by to speak and more than half of his conversation was grumbling about his wife! When we tend to look at situations and people as problems, life becomes difficult. But when we change our outlook and look at problems and people through God’s perspective, then life becomes a blessing! It’s like looking at a jar of sand – You can say it’s ‘half-filled’ or ‘half-empty’. I believe 99% of all relationship problems occur because of clash of ego’s and lack of healthy communication. When the lines of communication are closed at home, we take our problems and pour them out to well wishers (friends, advisors, counselors) who may listen, empathize and guide us but cannot solve the problem. Families must encourage daily prayer as ‘dialog’ between parents and children, husbands and wives, so that whenever a fight or argument in the home occurs, let the people involved begin by thanking God for it and what He wants to teach each person in that situation. Then with a humble heart, listen to the other person’s viewpoint as the two of you thrash out your differences or misunderstandings and see each other the way God intended.
When was the last time you thanked God for an argument or fight between you and your spouse, a friend or family member? Perhaps God allowed it to happen to reveal a side of this person that perhaps you’ve never seen before, not so much to condemn but to accept him or her and to teach you about your own imperfections; to correct and perfect them in an atmosphere of trust and love.
Ever wondered why healings and miracles always take place in an atmosphere of worship, praise and thanksgiving during prayer meetings? That’s because when we offer thanks and praise out of a pure heart, the anointing power of God just flows into our lives. God is enthroned on the praises of His people! As Catholics, it’s our belief that the Holy Eucharist is the highest form of thanksgiving prayer because Jesus Christ is truly present as the Living bread! The best place to offer our heart-felt thanks to God is at the Eucharist. However, our mighty omnipresent God is not limited to just a church or chapel, hence our thanks and praise should be a continuous flow not just from our lips but from the very depths of our being at all times and everywhere!
When you begin to thank God, your situations and people may remain unchanged, but ‘you’ will definitely change or rather your outlook and attitude in life will surely change as God transforms you with His love, peace and joy! In the scale of balance of your life, you’ll be surprised to see how much you are thankful for. Begin to thank God and start counting your blessings; you’ll automatically notice the list of positives increasing and the negatives decreasing!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, life is too short here on earth. Thankful people are happy people :) Let our attitude be that of gratitude! Begin today!
Spiritual Exercise: Practice the ‘attitude of gratitude’ by thanking God even for small trivial things in your life and watch how your heart and mind will be moved to thank Him constantly for EVERYTHING.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of life and Your many blessings. I thank You Lord, for my good days and bad days too, for both are necessary for my spiritual growth in this school of life. Transform my heart into an altar of Thanksgiving so that my constant prayer will be of praise and thanks dedicated to You. Amen.
- Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 43:1
Blessings,
Monisha Rebello
You may submit your prayer requests, which will be treated with absolute confidence. Remember to glorify our Lord as soon as He blesses you. You can email your testimonies with permission to publish them online at www.heavensmission.witnesstoday.org
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