What is typically your first response to a negative situation? Without some intentional practice, it’s probably somewhere along the lines of griping, complaining, and seeing the worst of the situation. And to be honest, that’s quite normal.
But when you become a believer in Jesus Christ, He teaches you a new way to live. A way where negativity is no longer your first response, or even a part of your response at all.
Does that sound impossible to you? It isn’t. It just takes some muscle memory.
Seeing things through the lens of thanksgiving and hope, is what believers in Jesus are called to do.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
In everything.
Your first response to a negative situation, can be to give thanks to God. It won’t come naturally to you, but if you’re intentional about putting this verse into practice in your life, you can become a person who give thanks in all circumstances.
I remember listening to a podcast and hearing world renowned Gospel Singer CeCe Winans sharing a story about praising God in all circumstances. She shared how after being out for an evening, she and her family came home to find their basement completely flooded.
I remember her sharing that her first response, as she looked around at the room covered in water was, thank you Jesus.
To most people, that probably sounds like a foolish or fake response.
But CeCe Winans was being neither foolish nor fake. She was being obedient. And she had trained herself to be. In fact, I recall her mentioning somewhere along the lines, that those words came out of her automatically. Without even thinking about it, her first response was to give God thanks. Why, because she had built a habit of doing exactly that.
We can’t ignore the problems in our lives, nor should we. But we can train our response to them.
God is not asking us to give thanks in all circumstances, just for the sake of giving thanks. He’s calling you to remember that He is bigger than your problems. He’s calling you to put your focus on Him.
Prophet Joseph Z has a powerful saying, “We glance at Goliath, but we gaze at God.” Goliath was a giant sized problem for David and the Israelites (1 Samuel 17). But David kept his focus on His God. On what God was able to do, not what he was able to do. And you know what, because of a right focus, a little shepherd boy defeated a nine foot giant.
When we keep God at the forefront of our minds, regardless of what we’re going through, there is no problem or circumstance that can defeat us. Just like God gave David victory over his problem, a simple obedient act of giving thanks to God in all circumstances, positions us for victory as well.
Leave a Reply