Thanking God in Everything, Thanks in Hardship

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Thanks in Hardship

Thanking God in everything is to thank Him in hardship. Today I wanted to give you an example of giving thanks for something unpleasant in my life. This is something that had caused me much pain and added stress. My initial response was to grit my teeth and pull up my big boy pants to deal with it. I got to work fixing what someone maliciously destroyed. It cost us thousands of dollars and would cost us thousands more to fix and require months of work to resolve. I admit openly my response wasn’t thanks. I wasn’t happy, much less grateful. What I did was I just sucked it up and went to work.

Thanking God in Everything Even When…

Thanking God in Everything Even When
Now was this the correct response? Not if you read my last post. I am God’s, so this situation has to be God’s blessing. But I unfortunately prevented that blessing by refusing to be grateful by thanking God in everything. My God is sovereign and He allowed this so it was intended to bless me. I just wasn’t experiencing the blessing because of my ingratitude.

Years had gone by, with me still grinding my teeth and trying to push through to fix it. Yep, I worked to fix rather than putting the effort in to thank. But then my Holy Spirit, so beautifully gracious and amazingly loving spoke to me. He came to me one night when I was fixing dinner and said, “Thank ME.” Oh, I had missed it and prevented the blessing from flowing to me. But the light was bright and I saw. I saw it was all-inclusive, not an isolated event. This is about ALL of my life not just this one circumstance. Thanking God in everything is a lifestyle.

I spoke about this in a past podcast. In it I gave His exact words. They were loving, corrective, encouraging and edifying. And I saw! In the way only He can do, He exploded it into all of Life. He requires us in everything to give thanks and honor Him as God because He can use everything to bless us. Whoa! Wait, you mean this thing that cost us money, wasted much time and caused great pain is my blessing? Yes, my thanks transforms everything through a transfer of ownership. Thanks gives it back to God to be God, while ingratitude separates me from God.

Thanking God in Everything – Scripture

Thanking God in Everything – Scripture
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:15 NIV

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 NIV

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

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Anna
2 years ago

Yes and amen!

2 years ago
Reply to  Anna

???

tammy
2 years ago

Thank You Lord for John and the insights You pass onto us through him.
❤️

2 years ago
Reply to  tammy

Love you Tammy! Thank you for the encouragement. This is life for me too.

Helen
2 years ago

God makes it simple…Thank Him…because He is God…& i am not. But i can thank Him, for what He knows & Who He is, that i don’t know & i am not. It’s Thank You that takes me where He is…to let me be me & God be God. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good…oh, I think of the places to Thank Him…in all things. Thanks for this John, “Thanking God supercedes it all”, I love that!

2 years ago
Reply to  Helen

It is beautiful for sure! This reality is Life, Truth, Hope, Love and Joy! It does supersede it all! Big ole hug for you!

Rachel Rogers
6 years ago

“my thanks transforms everything through a transfer of ownership.”

Exactly!!!!

I wonder if that is why the word is thanksGIVING?!!!

The Holy Spirit is teaching me this as well in a different situation and I am amazed at the blessings that can come from an “hard” or “frustrating” situation when thanks is offered. He is so wonderful!!! I’m thankful He told you to write this, John! 🙂

Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  Rachel Rogers

Oh my that is perfect, yes I believe that is it. ThanksGiving is ownership. When I heard Him say that I was like, “What?” But that is a perfect way of saying it. Thank you Rachel! Bless you and thank you for commenting.

Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  Rachel Rogers

You know about the conference right? Would love to have you Rachael! https://shulamite.com/road-that-leads-to-life/

Rachel Rogers
6 years ago
Reply to  John Enslow

It would be wonderful to come to the conference!… But we are several states north with five young children… I will look forward to enjoying the conference on CD! And I give thanks to GOD for having the conference right where it is! Yay!!!

Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  Rachel Rogers
Alex
6 years ago

” Thanks gives it back to God to be God ” I don’t think I ever caught this. That saying thank you is giving it BACK to Him. That means He is responsible for it, not me. He has to solve it, fix it, pay it, heal it, mend it-whatever. I am guilty of giving Him the glory when things “go right”, but if I’m not thanking Him when things go “wrong”, it means deep down I believe victory over these things is mine! That I endured, solved, fixed, paid, healed, mended, whatever! Oh, to live WATCHING AND WAITING for… Read more »

Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  Alex

You all are building on this. Thank you so much. I love it! Bless you Alex, hope to see you soon and Ed soon…August anyone?

tammy
6 years ago

Just some thoughts…

God’s will: “Be thankful…”
God’s will: “…all circumstances…”

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this [being thankful] is God’s will [being thankful] for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT [with my thoughts added]
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this [all circumstances] is God’s will [all circumstances] for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT (with my thoughts added)

For everyone of us “who belong to Christ Jesus” ALL the circumstances of our lives are according to His good will and He is worthy of thanksgiving.

Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  tammy

It changes everything doesn’t it Tammy? ALLl means all. I know you heard the podcast? https://shulamitepodcast.com/gratitude-unlocks-hidden-blessing/ The words God spoke to me that night shocked me and overjoyed me. They were freeing! Love you Tammy, see you soon too!

Pauline
5 years ago
Reply to  tammy

(Tammy, left you a “thank you,” May 11.)
Love