ThankfulnessSample

But what if I feel overwhelmed and desperate?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances”. But what if you feel so overwhelmed and desperate that your heart just wants to cry? What if everything around you is so dark that God seems to have forgotten you?

You’re not the first one wrestling with these feelings. It is not without reason that the book of Psalms, for example, contains many songs of lament besides the songs of praise and thankfulness. These songs point us in the right direction, namely to God. We should not only thank Him when everything is great; we should not just try to be thankful when many things seem to go wrong; we are invited to pour out our soul to Him. If we are in distress, we can tell Him. If we need help, we should ask Him for it. If we feel confused, or angry, or left alone, we can cry out to Him. He knows what is within our hearts, we need not hide our emotions from Him.

At the same time, it is possible to be thankful even in difficulties. The apostle Paul explains why: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even if we don’t see how certain developments in our lives could bring about anything good, we can trust that our loving heavenly Father knows what He is doing, and that He is in control.

Do you trust that God knows what is best for you?