"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Bible tells us we should be a people who are always be thankful to God in everything. Many of us want to do that but find it hard to do so, because we just can't find reasons to be thankful. And if we don't have any reason to be thankful, surely it would just be hypocritical of us to fake our gratefulness all the time.
Is there a way to be truly thankful to God always? Yes there is. That way is through training ourselves to be thankful.
Is God selfish?
Many of us might be thinking that God must be a selfish dictator who wants to receive thanks even when we feel like we don't have a reason to thank him. We look at our lives and we see problems; we feel pain, hunger, and fatigue; and we are hoping that tomorrow will be a better day for us because today wasn't so good at all.
When times like this come to us, we can feel like it's a chore to thank God, like it's a burden to thank Him for His goodness. We can't see His goodness in our lives because we're surrounded with unpleasant things and events, and thus we just don't feel like thanking Him.
Friends, God is not a selfish dictator who wants to receive thanks when we're suffering. The Bible tells us that He sympathizes with our pain and comforts us. He wants us to be able to thank Him because He truly deserves it - we just don't see it because we're too focused on ourselves.
To help you, dear reader, become more thankful to God always, here are a few things you should do daily, even on a moment-by-moment basis.
1) Count your blessings
Counting the blessings that you've received will surely help in developing the habit of thankfulness in you.
Check your prayer list if God has already answered your prayers. If you don't have a prayer checklist, start using one.
You can also simply look back to a time when God did something good for you. You may not have received something of monetary value, but you've received something good, like making a new friend or being able to see your parents after a long time at work.
2) Recognize the troubles God spared you from
Next, recognize the possible troubles that you would've experienced had God not intervened in your life. I'm sure we all have some regrettable moments in our lives that we would definitely experience, but God did not allow us to experience them because He's that good.
It could've been a bad investment or a job that wasn't the right fit for you. Even worse, it could've been an innocent decision that nearly put you in serious danger, or marrying the wrong person, or joining a cult or any number of things that could have had terrible consequences for you.
See the troubles God spared you from and thank Him for His goodness.
3) Realize that He's been there all along
Lastly, realize that He's been there all along. God has loved you long before you were born, has kept His eyes on you from the time you were in your mother's womb, and is continually looking out for you, rejoicing in the fact that you've come to Christ in repentance. (see Psalm 139:13-18; Luke 15:7,10)
You may not feel Him, but He's there. He will never leave you nor forsake you. That's His promise, and that alone will give you a reason to be thankful all the time.
