Transforming Truth:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Have you ever been floored by a crisis that hit at the absolute worst time, in the worst way? And you can’t imagine how you will move forward with an attitude of gratitude while you struggle to recover your footing?

This was me last December—three days before Christmas and two weeks before our eldest daughter’s Colorado winter wedding. I found myself lying flat on my back on the hardwood floor, showered in lukewarm coffee, writhing in pain because, in my rush to be on time for an appointment, I tumbled down the stairs instead.

As I lay there in shock and tears, my mind jumped back on the to-do list track I’d been racing down, and I realized it might all come to a screeching halt if that snap I heard before I hit the floor was real. A few hours later, an x-ray confirmed that I had fractured my right foot and badly sprained my ankle.

Suddenly, the overwhelming joy and gratitude that had carried me through this hectic season was replaced by rising anxiety and crushing disappointment. I had a lot of “why” questions for God: Why now? Why me? Why this?

Maybe you are having this conversation with God right now.

Can I Be Thankful Under These Circumstances?

Maybe as this holiday season approaches, you’re facing a reality that is anything but joyful and celebratory. And as you consider the words of this familiar exhortation from the apostle Paul—rejoice always, in everything give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)—you can’t imagine how you will muster up such feelings under these circumstances.

I get it. In the days that followed my untimely injury, I struggled to surrender my anger, my anxiety, and my disappointment to the Lord. I pleaded with Him to give me eyes to see His goodness while I endured the pain of healing and the chaos of regrouping because of my limited mobility.

As I dug deeper into this passage and others like it (Colossians 3:15, Philippians 4:6-7, Ephesians 5:20), I realized that Paul didn’t suggest we be thankful for everything—that’s a relief! Honestly, I wasn’t grateful for the accident and the challenges I now faced at such an important time for my family.

Remaining Thankful Amid Trials

However, I could be thankful in this situation. In Greek, the preposition en means a fixed position in place, time, or state. In other words, we can remain fixed in a state of thankfulness in every condition or matter because it is God’s will that we can—and He made it possible. As followers of Christ, we experience ongoing transformation and have eyes to see the big picture of all that God has done, is doing, and will do in the future—regardless of our circumstances.

Although many of my plans had to be modified or discarded, I thanked the Lord for providing supportive friends who jumped in and made things happen. I missed out on a lot due to my limited mobility, but the unscheduled stillness freed up space to soak in many precious moments with my loved ones. Even though I had to buy a new dress to cover up a DIY bedazzled walking boot and limp down the aisle with my future son-in-law as my crutch, I rejoiced because I could still participate in the ceremony.

Friend, if the reason you’re struggling to experience joy or gratitude this holiday season is not as temporary as a broken bone that will eventually heal, or as simple as trusting others with your to-do list for a major event, I hope you can take comfort in this truth. You can count on the Lord to walk with you through this time and trust that His good plans for you will come to fruition despite any setbacks. That assurance is something we can always be thankful for!

Nighttime Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to You to lay down at Your feet my expectations for Your goodness this holiday season. It’s easy to be grateful when life is pleasant, peaceful, and picture-worthy, but it’s a struggle to maintain this perspective when the opposite is true. Help me remain thankful despite my circumstances by keeping my eyes fixed on eternity, not on earthly things that will pass away. Give me eyes to see Your grace at work during this time, for I know that Your grace will sustain me. Fill me with Your joy, strength, and peace as I face challenging circumstances. Thank you for the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you struggled to put the apostle Paul’s exhortation into practice amid challenging circumstances?
2. Are you facing a holiday season that will be difficult to navigate with joy and gratitude?
3. Have you witnessed God work through painful trials in your past? If so, write down this testimony as a remembrance you can refer to in the future. Then ask the Lord if there is someone in your life that you should share this testimony with.

Join the Conversation: Are you struggling to be thankful this holiday season? I’d love to pray for you if you share a prayer request!

Related Post: How to Be Thankful for the Thorn of Anxiety

*This devotional was published on Crossmap.com as part of the DayBreak Devotions series.