Between the Coronavirus, self quarantine and economic uncertainty, it’s easy to lose sight of all our blessings. 

So in this episode I want to remind you how important it is to always be thankful, even during difficult times. 

Hi, I’m Paul and welcome to If You Forget. 

If you like what you hear today, remember to check out our website at ifyouforget.com where you can sign up for our free newsletter, subscribe to this podcast or listen to past episodes. 

And now, let’s talk about being thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “Give thanks in all circumstances” because “this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” If you want to live in God’s will then your heart must be thankful. 

Developing a thankful attitude is one of the most life-changing things you can do.  It completely changes your outlook on life. It clears your vision, allows you to see that God is with you in your everyday life and shows you that you are surrounded by His grace. 

Now I think there are two things that keep us from having a thankful attitude.  The first being all the thoughts that are competing for your attention.

Every day a thousand thoughts rush towards you. Many of these thoughts are negative. That’s especially true now with social media bombarding you with pandemic and other doom and gloom news 24/7.  

If you’re not careful, the negative thoughts will be the ones that take root, grow, then block you from seeing all the things that you should be thankful for.

So the way to deal with this is to do what 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands, which is to “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”. 

What that means is you take each thought then decide whether it will lead you closer to Jesus or further from Him.  The thoughts that lead you closer to Him are the ones you let in. The others are the ones you keep out. 

The kind of thoughts you want to let in are referred to in Galatians 5:22-23 as the fruit of the spirit. They include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

These are the thoughts that help develop a thankful attitude. And these are the thoughts you should fill your heart and mind with then allow them to overflow into your actions.

The second challenge is mistakenly thinking that everything has to be going well in order to be thankful.  

Now I know it’s sometimes hard to find blessings when things are going wrong but on bad days you can simply give thanks that you woke up.  Not everyone is given that privilege.

On bad days you can be thankful that no matter what happens the Lord will be there with you. He promises to never leave you and never forsake you. And He promises to one day right all wrongs, wipe away all tears and heal all sickness. 

Remember our 1 Thessalonians verse?  “Give thanks in all circumstances” not just the good ones.  Our earthly circumstances change day to day.  The Father’s love endures forever. It never changes. 

He’s with us during the hard times, always giving us strength and mercy and grace in time of need. So whatever is happening we are always blessed and we always have reason to be thankful.

As we wrap this up I want to encourage you to begin each day with a thankful heart. 

Before you even get out of bed find at least one reason to be thankful then build on that by noticing other blessings -- both big and small -- as the day goes on. It’s a simple idea but also a life-changing one when put into practice.

So remember: when you are living with a thankful heart you are living with the attitude God wants you to have. 

And this attitude brings with it a peace and joy that nothing in this world -- no trial or circumstance or virus can ever take from you.  

If you enjoyed this show please remember to check out our website at ifyouforget.com where you can sign up for our free newsletter, subscribe to this podcast or listen to past episodes.