In my last post I talked about being resilient in a changing world.  I believe one of the best ways we have to be resilient is to be thankful to God for all of what he has given us (i.e. everything).  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks in all circumstances, and Ephesians 5:20 says to give thanks for everything.  It is not always easy to do, but I believe it is good for you, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. That thankfulness is supported by the confidence we have in God.  It is the sure hope that we have.

The foundation of that hope and thankfulness starts with the fact that God loves you. He desires the best for you.  He is on your side even through those tough times.  He is using the circumstances of life to help shape and form you.    Recognizing that, means that you can thank God for everything in all circumstances.  He can take the wrong things in life and bring good out of them.  In the end, he will make all things right. Note this is not optimism or positive thinking.  This video talks about the word hope in the Bible.  There are two Hebrew words for hope, which infer “waiting” (yakhal) and “tense expectations” (qavah). Biblical hope looks back and sees how God has faithfully acted and then looks forward and waits for God to act. It is in that looking back we can be thankful, and because of that thankful remembrance we can look forward in hope and be resilient.

It is fairly easy to be thankful for the good things that happen to you, but when you are in a tough situation it is harder to be thankful.  You need to trust God and see his hand in directing you through the tough situation.  Just making the effort to be thankful will help you to connect with God.  Over twenty one years ago I came down with Gillian Barre.  I missed 6 months of work.  I was in the ICU for two weeks.  It was a tough situation.  Yet because of the illness, today I have a greater awareness of God’s goodness and grace.  It also helped Gail and I to bond.  I am thankful for that illness.

I find that I am in a better mood if I give thanks several times during the day. It reduces my stress and worry.  Giving God thanks reminds me of God’s goodness and love.  That allows me to trust him and to be flexible and resilient in that hope.  It is a healthy attitude to have.