Thankful in Circumstance 

READY:

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” -- Psalm 107:1 NLT

SET

As athletes and coaches, we experience a vast range of conditions and situations as we train, learn, grow, and compete in our sport. These circumstances can be overwhelmingly positive--such as a successful season, achieving a goal, or making your dream team. However, they can also be negative and discouraging. As coaches, we may find ourselves coaching a difficult group of athletes or leading our team through a season of loss or deferment. As athletes, we might find ourselves struggling to improve our skills, sitting the bench more than we thought we would, or experiencing defeat time and again. But we know that our circumstances do not last forever; they come and they go just like a rainbow after a storm. At times, this is hard to understand clearly, whether we’re experiencing something challenging or victorious.

As Christian coaches and athletes, God calls us to live and compete with a heart of thanksgiving. Living with a thankful heart is intentional, and it is not dependent on our circumstance. God sees our victories and defeats and our trials and our triumphs, and He understands our circumstances perfectly. But no matter what, our God desires us to be thankful. Why? The Bible tells us that God is good all the time and all the time He is good. We can be thankful in any circumstance, good or bad, because we know that God is always good; His love endures forever. 

As you compete, try avoiding thankfulness when you only experience success and happiness. Instead, allow your thankfulness to be measured by God’s love for you and His goodness in your life in any circumstance.

While your circumstances will continue to change for the rest of your life and competitive career, God’s love for you will never ever end. This alone is something to be thanking God for every minute of the day.

GO

• Do you allow your heart to be thankful only when you experience good circumstances?
• How can you live with a thankful heart, independently of what you currently experience?
• How can you encourage others around you to live thankfully in their circumstances?

WORKOUT

1 Thessalonians 5:8; James 1:17; Psalm 100:4

OVERTIME

“Heavenly Father, thank You for being steadfast in Your love and never wavering in Your desires to bless me and take care of me. Forgive me for not always being thankful. Help me to live with a heart that is thankful in the good and in the bad. I pray that my heart would never stop thanking You for who You are, no matter what is going on in my life. I love You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Claire Britton
Claire grew up in FCA doing Surf camps with her family for 15 years in New Jersey. She graduated from Liberty University in 2020 and now lives in Kansas City with her husband Eli. Claire works in the Ministry Advancement Department at FCA's Support Center.