Thanking God for Hard Gifts
Welcome to Real Life . What are you thankful for? “Anything that causes us to need God is a blessing!” –Nancy DeMoss Wogelmuth In America, God has blessed us with prosperity. The more we have, however, the less we seem to appreciate it. Rather than thankfulness, prosperity often breeds a sense of entitlement and discontent. We continually desire more, better, and easier. In our land of plenty, thankfulness does not come naturally. It’s a heart attitude we must intentionally nurture and develop. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) I hope 2023 has been an incredible year for you. I hope your heart sings with gratitude as you pull up a chair to your Thanksgiving table. But if like me, 2023 had its share of challenges, let’s choose to thank God in all circumstances. Because although thankfulness doesn’t come naturally, paradoxically, it often arises after hardship. The bitter opens our eyes to a new appreciation f