When Saying Thank You Feels Difficult

Giving thanks to people who do good to us, or to God when things are going well, or after receiving blessings, is not difficult. But what if bad things happen to us? When everything does not go as expected, can we still give thanks to Him?

Sometimes circumstances make it hard for us to be thankful, but we need to learn to do it. There are many positive things we can learn from expressing thanks.

1. Giving thanks when prayers are not answered as hoped

When we pray, of course we hope that the prayer will be answered according to our desire. But what if God says otherwise?

For example, you pray for guidance on whether this seemingly attractive job is the right one for you. The good news is, God answers your prayer by giving clear guidance. The bad news is, God says no.

How do you respond when this happens? Can you still give thanks to God? Can you see the positive side of an unanswered prayer and learn something from it?

He said: "Abba, Father, nothing is impossible for You. Take this cup away from Me, yet not what I want, but what You want." – Mark 14:36

From the verse above, we can see that the prayer of Jesus, the Son of God Himself, was once not granted. If He could choose, of course Jesus would not have wanted to die. In reality, what He asked for three times was not granted by His Father. Jesus surrendered His whole life to the Father's will and accepted whatever would happen to Him.

Look at what happened afterward. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God was able to carry out an amazing plan of salvation for humanity. Behind an unanswered prayer, there is His more beautiful plan.

Learning from Jesus, are we able to fully obey God and give thanks for prayers that are not answered?

2. Thankful for loving correction

“Better to be slapped by the truth, than kissed with a lie.”

Better to be slapped by the truth than kissed by a lie. Reality (usually packaged with honesty) is often bitter. But can we give thanks for those who take the step of correcting our mistakes with love, rather than making us happy with lies?

But Jesus looked at him and loved him, then said to him: "One thing you still lack: go, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come here and follow Me.” – Mark 10:21

A rich young man asked Jesus what he had to do to obtain eternal life. He had kept the Ten Commandments, but the Lord who knows all things lovingly told him what he lacked. Everything was good, except that the priority of his heart was still fixed on wealth. Perhaps this young man was expecting praise such as, “Good job”, but what he received instead was loving correction.

Can we accept it when our friend, guide, or mentor rebukes us? How do we respond to those who correct our mistakes? Do we hate them or examine ourselves? Can you be thankful because they chose to take the risk of correcting you, instead of staying silent or talking about you behind your back?

3. Giving thanks for harsh discipline

A life that does not go according to our desires may be an arena of God'sdiscipline. Problems that come one after another, in family, work, finances, health, education, relationships, and so on, are examples of these arenas.

“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when you are rebuked by Him; because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He scourges everyone He acknowledges as His child." If you must endure punishment, God is treating you like children. Where is there a child who is not disciplined by his father? – Hebrews 12:5-7

We are God's children. When God disciplines us harshly, understand it as part of the process of training that He applies to us. Through many things that God allows to happen in life, He grows us, shapes our character, and matures us. Can we give thanks for His discipline?

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” Today, have we given thanks for everything, both the sweet and the bitter in our lives?

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Tesalonika 5:18

* Church GKDI is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area; if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

Related articles: Thanksgiving: Learning to Understand God's Blessings

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