The way to effectively deal will Trials: Thankfulness

It is Thanksgiving week here in the US. There has been a lot of discussions about the holiday and its past as well as the events that usually surround this time of year. Some of them are related to Thanksgiving, most are just sharing the same time frame. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is often overlooked for various reasons but the act of thanksgiving should never be.

In the past year we have seen many people go through difficulties is ways never before seen. Things we thought would be safe and unaffected ended up being taken away or put in an area of uncertainty when it was never expected to be. Some people we know lost close loved ones. One family lost a father in his 40s unexpectedly. A lot of people are going through trials right now.

It is hard to look at trials as a good thing no matter who you are. The bible test us to be joyful in various trials. This is found in James 1:2:4 and Romans 5:3-5. The purpose is to over time strengthen us and help us to draw closer to God our father.

It may be hard to believe but Thankfulness is the key to dealing with trials. Thankfulness is a feeling of being glad or pleased. So how does it work to be glad or pleased when it seems your life is falling apart?

I did not get the title of the song but I remember the lyrics when I was listening to the radio at 4:30AM one morning. It kept repeating the line “my life isn’t falling apart its falling into place.” That is where thankfulness comes in.

Thankfulness in trials is knowing that they work for your best interest. No matter how hard or deeply wounding they can be. For those in the world they will only see that trial and expect they can provide for themselves a way out. For the Christian it puts us deeper in a dependency on God. The thankfulness comes through the promised of His written word and through the Holy Spirit indwelling in us. Both provide us comfort and clarity especially if our hearts seek Him. They work well even when what we see is nothing but hurt and sadness. The thankfulness is knowing that he promises he will never leave or forsake us and he draws near to us during our trials. All of these trials work to make us conform to the same being in his son Jesus Christ who has been glorified for us to be so also. If enduring trials we partake is a similar suffering that he ds for our sake, which joins us in a close bond with Him.

Why gladness from Thankfulness is not the first emotion most will have when a trial comes. It is the route that a trial should take over time when we see the reality behind the events that unfold. He loves us and will see us through them so we can be glorified in His sight.

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Koenig

Lakeshore Fellowship