Have you ever been so lost in your own thoughts that you don’t see all the good going on around you? Maybe guilt and shame have weighed you down to the point that you can’t seem to find anything positive in your life, and even when you do, it always feels like there is a shadow hanging over you. I’ve been there, and it definitely isn’t a fun place to be. When I’m having these feelings, I tend to withdraw. I stop counting my blessings, I stop thanking God for the good things in my life, and I just try to stay distracted from my racing thoughts. The problem is that in trying to avoid the bad things in life, I completely push out the good ones. Recently, I actually made the effort to thank God for the blessings he has given me. This made me re-frame my view and see things in a positive light. It might not be easy to find things to be thankful for when we are going through dark times in our lives, but I absolutely believe that it is necessary, and that it will help us overcome our trials.

Thanksgiving, even in the trying times, is necessary because thanksgiving is a crucial part of the life of a Christian. In Colossians 3, we see instructions given to Christians on how to live. Among the commands to forgive (verse 3) to love (verse 14) and to do all in Christ’s name (verse 17), we find the command to be thankful. We read in verses 15-17, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (NASB). “In everything give thanks…” we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. If thankfulness is commanded, we have to find a way to do it, even in the tough times.

Additionally, thanksgiving brings us to a higher level of thinking. Philippians 4:8-9 show us the things we need to focus on. It reads, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  Isn’t dwelling on the blessings God has given us true, right, and pure? Of course, the God who created us can tell us best what we need, and what we need is to focus on the pure things. It’s not easy to shift our focus from the negative things in our lives to the positive ones, but it is a conscious choice, and the prescription for finding joy in the struggles of life.

So, how do we do this? How do we reframe our perspective to focusing on the blessings God has given us? Praying and thanking God for the things we love is an excellent way! However, sometimes we can be so focused on the negative that just counting and thanking God for our blessings is hard. Something that is helpful in this case is to sit down, and find a blessing for every letter in the alphabet. You can write down your list, or keep a mental inventory, but this exercise gives you a guideline to actively think about the ways God has blessed you. In summary, we should be thankful in all circumstances because we are commanded to do so and because it will elevate our thinking and bring us joy. Let’s take the time to actively thank God for all he has done for us!