The wind was howling. Its strength visible by the leaning of the trees along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Storms here come in such varieties. Some park over the sea and churn buckets of water on the earth below reshaping large rivers and beaches overnight. Some have gusts that shake the very foundations of the earth, twisting infrastructure and edifice alike. And some have all of the above.
How do you feel in a storm? Do you remember cosy times cuddled by a fireplace reading and not worrying an iota? Perhaps you have a different recollection of a storm that wreaked havoc on your life and took precious things from you?
Rescue workers go on high alert during such storms. They have been trained to know what are the first and foremost things to get accomplished. They have tools and equipment that are essential, and tough vehicles that can chew their way through the rubble and high waters to get into ravaged places to rescue the perishing. So thankful for these people.
How wise is the person that prepares ahead of the storm so that when it hits, he is ready. This is true when you are at sea perhaps more than any other place. Whereas the ground tends to be firm, and can even be burrowed into for safety, the sea can be a merciless place that tosses you about for days and even weeks without a break.
Almost the very definition of hopelessness is someone adrift at sea in a horrible storm with no motor, no sails, no oars, and no anchor.
Anchored
Maybe you feel that a storm is raging inside you. Outside, you may appear just fine to others. But in your thoughts and emotions, you are in a horrible storm battling the foreboding winds of change, loss, challenge, or uncertainty. Dark clouds on the horizon vow that even more is coming. Alone, your tears fall like heavy rain. Your thoughts spin and lurch like a rudderless ship with the sails all torn. Hope seems like a bad joke. You don’t know what to think or do next. I know. I have been there, too.
Credit: J. H. Brown
Emotions are real, but they are not reality. When we are in a storm, we must send our minds down beyond our circumstances, down to a deeper reality … and give our emotions a bit of time to follow. You see, we have an anchor. Our minds have a chain of truths that go down deep and are connected to an anchor set firmly into a Rock that does not move. We are connected. We are held. We belong. We are tethered in the storm by the Author and Measurer of the storm. The storm teaches us the power of the Rock and underscores the need for a good anchor that can hold us fast in the dreadful waves that throw our souls back and forth. ⚓️
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”
Hebrews 6:19
Go from Anxious to A.N.C.H.O.R.E.D.
I came across a helpful tool recently. It gives a simple reminder to the person who is the midst of a storm of anxiety, but desires to gradually leave that state and feel anchored.
A — Acknowledge God’s Sovereign Presence — Psalm 23:4; Psalm 139:1-12; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10,13; Psalm 46:1
N — Name the Fears and Lies Beneath the Anxiety — Psalm 139:23-24; Psalm 19:14; Lamentations 3:40
C — Confess Unbelief and Self-Dependence — I John 1:9; Psalm 32:5; Psalm 51:10; Proverbs 28:13
H — Hold Fast to God’s Promises in Christ — Proverbs 3:5; Isaiah 26:3; Hebrews 10:23
O — Orient Your Mind to Scripture — Lamentations 3:21; Psalm 119:11; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2
R — Redirect Desires Toward God’s Kingdom — Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:33; Psalm 37:4
E — Entrust Cares to God Through Thankful Prayer — Philippians 4:6; Psalm 37:3,5; I Peter 5:7; I Thessalonians 5:16-18; Psalm 28:7; Colossians 4:2
D — Do the Next Faithful Step — Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 3:6; Micah 6:8; Philippians 3:13-14; Proverbs 4:25-27
@Biblical Counselors Society
Are You Anchored?
You may think you are anchored, but when a raging storm threatens your tranquility, your anxieties become apparent. Perhaps your anchor and chain of truths are not sufficiently strong. Perhaps they are not set into the Rock but are unhelpfully dragging along the bottom. You are being thrown and tossed, bruised and broken.
The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you.”
J. I. Packer,
Knowing God
The world experiences peace circumstantial, but the Christian’s peace is not anchored in happenstance or circumstance but in the character of our Heavenly Father.”
Jonny Ardavanis, Consider the Lilies
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16
I want to end by encouraging you to write out the acronym for A.N.C.H.O.R.E.D. and look up the verses that support it. It will be a step of establishing a secured anchoring in TRUTH.
Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor
Christ the sure and steady anchor in the fury of the storm When the winds of doubt blow through me and my sails have all been torn In the suffering, in the sorrow when my sinking hopes are few I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor while the tempest rages on When temptation claims the battle and it seems the night has won Deeper still then goes the anchor though I justly stand accused I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor through the floods of unbelief Hopeless, somehow, o my soul now lift your eyes to calvary This my ballast of assurance see His love forever proved I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor as we face the wave of death When these trials give way to glory and we draw our final breath We will cross that great horizon, clouds behind and life secured And the calm will be the better, for the storms that we endured Christ the shore of our salvation, ever faithful, ever true We will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed
The Father fulfilled the promise He made. The Son came as a baby to live a perfect life and then die, not for Himself, but for me and you so we could have forgiveness, reconciliation, transformation, and hope (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Thank You, Lord Jesus!!
My friend, Karen Tinsley, alerted me to this quote:
“Incorporating thanksgiving as a daily habit will translate into ‘thanksliving.'”
“Feature” A Daily Bible Study Guide
Love this concept of incorporating thanksgiving as a daily habit. Thanking Him for coming to die for our sins, not just at Christmas time, but all year long. Thanking Him for His grace and mercy, His many blessings every single day, His voice in His Word, His fingerprints in my circumstances, His closeness and promises in the refiner’s furnace ~ thanksliving.
My Th(i)nkful Friend
Every Monday I exchange thinkful lists with others who are learning to cultivate thinking thanks even when it’s so hard. I have done it for years with Grace, but recently I have started with another dear friend Cherie. Look what she texted me this Monday morning:
Thinkful God’s will for my life doesn’t need to be found; it needs to be obeyed. And His will is that I’m thankful in all things. I certainly struggle with this, so I’m trying to train my mind as often as I can. These Mondays help so much. In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
By God’s Spirit and God’s strength, I’m a thankful person. He is helping me to be thinking about being thankful.
When I struggle to find things to practically be thankful for, I remind myself of this:
My salvation. God saved me so I will rebound my gratitude back to Him. 2 Corinthians 4:15.
The sovereignty of God. He is not only in control of every kingdom but over every part of my life.
Thankful that God forgives me. Psalm 103:12 / 1 John 1:19.
I’m thankful for the love of God.
God’s word. Scripture stirs us up.
The people of God. The people God puts into our lives. Ephesians 1:16 / Philippians 1:3
The promise of heaven. John 14:2-3. Rejoicing that our names are written there.
His provision. Philippians 4:19
The faithfulness of God. Psalm 92:1-2. Great is the faithfulness, standing with Him is never unknown.
He answers our prayer. Isaiah 65:24 / Psalm 4:3
God is with us. Psalm 139:7-10
My list for today
I was able to ask my son Seth for forgiveness
I was able to forgive him and restore our relationship
In these, showing him Christ and what Christ has done for us
We are praying about a little dog Seth wants, but we have to wait on a few things and it’s an opportunity to teach Seth to pray and trust God
I was able to do a walk this weekend and one day of gym last week
No headache today
Summer is here
I am redeemed
Jesus is coming soon 🙌🏻🙏🏻🕊️
Cherie gave me permission to share this
Thanksliving in Action
Wow! Cherie is an inspiration to me. I know her life is not easy. She has great challenges, but she is willingly thanking God anyway. She chooses to focus on Him and His Word, His character and His promises. Good example to follow.
Lord, I need You. It’s so hard for me to have this thanksliving way of life. Please help me. Remind me of Your love for me, how You know everything about me and yet desire a relationship with me. Thank you for Cherie’s testimony. May I do likewise as we both run this race of life and long for Your return.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Be a thinkful Cherie now and going forward into 2026!
“Don’t give up! Lean in! Use those muscles!” We had the privilege to climb a mountain in Norway recently. As our age climbs, the mountains are harder to climb. We had to reawaken muscles who thought they had reached retirement.
The view was worth it as we looked out over a seaside town through sunshine and light hail. But it was hard going up … and then hard in a different way going back down.
You have to want to achieve the goal. Then you push and take steps to make it happen.
One foot in front of the other, step by step, you push forward. It was my first time to use hiking poles for balance and support. Very helpful! Felt professional.
Thinkful Muscle
Choosing to download grace from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance in my life takes muscle. It takes the heart: “I want this change in my life.” It takes the will: “I will choose daily or as often as needed to stop and speak or write out things I am thankful for.” It takes the mind: “OK, now looking back through this day or this circumstance, what can I be thankful for?”
This does not come naturally, at least not to start with. But after those muscles have been engaged and used repeatedly, it does begin to come more automatically. That is a benefit of being “in th(i)nkful shape.”
Friend, when you choose to ask God for grace to process things with gratitude, you are exercising yourself towards godliness. You are obeying God’s command to give thanks in everything.
But honestly, it can feel like climbing a mountain. Every step feels hard and you have to choose to pursue your goal.
If you practice being grateful, even under duress, that can help you develop the attitude that makes you resilient as you move through tremendous difficulty.
Dr. Jordan B. Petersons
Even people who are not believers realize the importance!
Muscle Development
To get fit, you need a plan. David and I tried to take lots of walks on the hills around where we live to prepare for our mountain hike. We chose hills that were steep to begin to push our thigh muscles to get ready. Yes, it was a bit uncomfortable. We would sweat and breathe heavily, and some people who watched us pass by wondered if we would pass out, or pass away, before reaching the top … but slowly, it got easier.
The same is true with developing your thinkful muscle. Although it may feel awkward and unnatural, you choose to write down some things you are thankful for. Maybe it’s just one a week at first, but you build up to one a day, maybe even three+ a day.
As that gratitude muscle gets fit, it will amaze you how quickly you can blurt out one thing after another of what you are thankful to God for, even during difficulties.
That is climbing the Thinkful Mountain!
Joy Along Life’s Path
As I was pushing my leg muscles climbing up the mountain, I would take a pause and turn around looking how far I had already gone and the view from where I was.
It gave me inspiration to go on (and needed oxygen). We also met some who were descending because they were afraid of getting caught in a heavy downpour. Fully understandable! The one lady looked at me and said in Norwegian that she had some regret though that they had turned around.
If you pursue getting your thinkful muscle fit, I believe you will have no regrets. Becoming more of a natural at giving thanks to God for Who He is and all He does, will pour courage and joy in your heart.
Oh, just give it a break! I want to relax and just veg out for a while.
Vegetate means to relax in a completely passive or mindless way.
“I am so weary and tired. I can’t think straight. Just need to refuel and restore.”
These are such common phrases. Our jobs, families, schools, and ministries are demanding and pushing us to perform, even through stress and discomfort. No wonder we have a desire to veg out.
May I please alert you‼️
When you are vulnerable and passive, there is danger lurking. Yes, you do need to rest and restore, but be careful how.
Whatever we passively allow into our minds will actively affect us. It goes into the database of the soul, our minds, and begins to influence us.
“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”
Proverbs 15:14
Feeding as Meditating
We are what we think about.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:“
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)
But the motivator for what we think about is our heart. We think what we think because our hearts want what they want. The heart determines what we feed on in the idle moments. Sometimes it’s not bad. We just need to check it.
Absent strong medication, most of us can’t go into a state of just not caring. The mind will receive input even if we are not seeking to actively acquire knowledge.
The area to continually check is our hearts. What do I really want in my heart?
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
News?
For so many of us, conditioned for years by 24-hour news and social media, our hearts want us to be informed. Many don’t want to find out the latest shocking events one or two days later. AI evaluated a number of sources to report where 18-24 year olds get their news.
Fascinating!! What you read and see surely will color the way you perceive something.
In the olden days, it was the town crier calling people out into the town square to share news.
That is where we get the word for “church.” Ekklesia means “called-out ones” – people called out of their homes and businesses to gather together in the town square to hear the news and official announcements.
When Jesus came as the true Messiah, many had not heard the news. The news of the gospel was to be proclaimed everywhere. That news is still being shared all over the world. One by one or in big groups the gospel is declared.
As Western culture moved into the 18th century, the printed page became popular as a source of news. People would buy gazettes and then newspapers.
Whatever was printed in the newspaper or broadcast of the radio hourly was carefully curated and presented to us as objectively as possible. What we read or heard in those days we took at face value. It had authority.
Today we have a superabundance of ways to get information, and in this populist era, everyone has a voice, and mainstream legacy media outlets, discredited as authorities, are seen as just a few of thousands of biased voices with hidden agendas. No one can be trusted. Difficult as it may be, we use discretion in the selection of our sources, and be careful of our level of daily intake.
Guidelines for the Mind
Our Father in heaven who has created us and controls all things, has given us guidelines for how to walk worthy in the Christian life.
He encourages us to renew our minds often.
” Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2
Firstly, we need the fresh water of the Word of God every day to satisfy us and renew our perspective (John 4:10). I have a morning appointment with the Creator … like at 6 am at the breakfast table, He is waiting for me. I need to talk with Him and hear from Him before jumping into news or texts.
Secondly, we need to view current events with the glasses of thinkfulness. God has given us His Word as an anchor (Hebrews 6:19) and light for our path (Psalm 119:105). He says to think thanks for everything.
“… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Ephesians 5:20
Thirdly, build up your “big God” belief system. Have you compared the amount of time you spend getting news with the amount of time spent on a sovereign God who is orchestrating all of those events in the news towards fulfilling His plans and purposes (Daniel 4:34-35, Acts 17:26-27)?
Many Christians have a “small God” – a God who is overworked and distracted and not paying sufficient attention to some details. They are more oriented horizontally than vertically. They care a whole lot more what people around them think about something compared to what the Lord thinks about the same thing. God warns us that the fear of man brings a snare, but whoso trusts in the Lord will be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
We need to move to a “big God theology” and to a vertical orientation, confessing what is true from heaven’s standpoint. God is infinite mind (never misses the smallest detail). God has steadfast love and faithfulness toward His children (micro-orchestrating every detail in our lives, struggles, and deaths for our good and His glory). And God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent (ruling over the affairs of men and nations – those that are war-torn and those that smugly feel they have achieved utopia).
Recently I was made aware of how trusting completely in God’s sovereignty actually helped two friends of mine who had gone through the loss of a spouse. They grieved, but there was hope in that God was working a plan, and His peace and plan eased their suffering sooner than others around them. We cannot always see His plan behind the path that He chooses for us, but He asks us to trust Him (Isaiah 43:2).
Fourthly, roll over your soul-weights and anxieties on the Lord, with thanks. When the Lord tells us not to be anxious in Philippians 4:6, He gives a way to process our concerns. He encourages us to bring our burdens and troubles to Him wrapped up in thanksgiving.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Remind yourself that God CAN be trusted in every detail. Give thanks for the Lord delivering us from the dominion of darkness and transferring us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption (Colossians 1:13-14).
Fifthly, be discerning. How can a person know where to “feed?”
First of all, pray that God would give you wisdom and guide you.
Seek godly counsel from trusted mentors.
Curate your feed. Unfollow accounts that bring anxiety and follow accounts that edify.
Limit your time and platforms.
Turn off notifications.
Engage in real-life activities.
Consider a tech Sabbath – no phone from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
David and I arrived at the Atlanta airport and went through passport control. Went so smoothly that we both remarked how different that was from Africa. We were exhausted, as we normally are after sitting in an airplane for about sixteen hours and my head hurt, but not too badly.
When we got to the luggage carousel, we stood for a long time looking for our four bags. They did not come. We were among a large cluster people whose luggage did not make it. So we stood in line to report the missing pieces.
There was a lot in those bags. Over 300 knitted African animals that my Zulu ladies had made, important meds, clothes, papers, journals that we needed. If I allowed my thoughts to go where they wanted, anxiety would seep in. No doubt!!
Opportunity for Wisdom
When something happens in our lives, we get the opportunity to react or respond. If this is a test, there will be temptations connected with it, and part of the victory over temptations is slowing things down so that we can think – responding rather than reacting.
Will I take a second to remember that this challenge is common to man, that God is faithful, that He has checked that I can handle it with His help, and that He is watching me? If I reach out to Him for wisdom and carefully choose to respond with wisdom, there’s a way of escape so I can bear it (I Corinthians 10:13).
But if I am enticed by a spike in my own desire to react rapidly, I take no time to regain God’s perspective, or use any wisdom filter. I just fall into the floodwaters of my adrenaline or anxious thoughts. The repetition of unchecked thoughts and unfiltered reactions brings a life called “death” (James 1:14-15).
Often we don’t consciously think about how we respond. We don’t quickly recount God’s promises. We don’t consider what would be wise. We just react. Anxiety just happens so quickly and naturally. Thoughts come like kamikazes, dive-bombing into your mind with great force.
What if I can’t handle that?
Will I actually have to wait on the Lord with all this ambiguity?
Has the Lord forgotten about this one?
The Lord does not truly like me?
Maybe God wants to hurt me? He’s getting back at me for something.
What if I simply freak out and die?
On and on it goes.
The Lord has a check list of what to do when faced with anxious thoughts. He says to wrestle down the thoughts that are not in harmony with the knowledge of God.
Wrestling takes work! Wrestling uses more muscles in the body than any other sport. It is not just an automatic response. No sir! It’s intentional. It’s aggressive. It’s grueling.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:5
Why Does Wrestling Matter?
In short, because you will receive consequences for not wrestling.
Considering yourself defeated and going with the flow of your anxious feelings is not innocent. It’s disobedience. It’s sin. I know that sounds harsh. But the Lord who made us, tells us not to do that.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
The wrestling of anxious thoughts is not a fast, once and done thing. For many of us, it is a daily struggle. Like a wrestling partner who believes wrestling practice is never over, creeps up, and takes you down in random places throughout your day. It is a continual fight to set your thoughts above and not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2). Learning to slow down, regain perspective, and respond by speaking truth to yourself is essential.
My Lord is sovereign and meticulously managing the details of my life
I am loved steadfastly by my Father and nothing touches me without His design
The Lord desires me to pass this test with His help and have proven character because of it
This test will pass
I have been delivered from the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13)
All my sins – all of them – have been forgiven. The Lord is never “getting back at me” for something
As I am in the midst of this test, I need to remember how it feels so I can relate to others
I have an opportunity to display God’s grace before others
If it is from the Evil One, I am worthy of being attacked
God’s Word becomes more precious to me as I cling to its promises
Friend, as you read these words I want to pour courage over you. You can have victory. You can be conformed to Christ in the way you respond to hard things that come your way. Don’t be afraid!
Christ Our Wisdom Sovereign Grace 2024
The Wrap
I want to share a tool that has helped me over and over again. Get a hold of a journal or even just a piece of paper. Begin to articulate exactly what it is that is worrisome. Then begin to wrap that concern with thanksgiving. In other words, deliberately think thanks about your challenge.
Let me show you with the incident that happened to us with the lost luggage.
My thinkful wrap:
Our plane made it to the USA all the way from Johannesburg, SA
The Lord knew exactly where our four bags were even if we didn’t
I Corinthians 10:13 promised me that God had checked this test. He knew I could pass this test with His help
David and I were together and could share this burden and have people pray with us that it would arrive in time IF God willed it
Romans 8:28-29 tells me that all things in my life, even losing luggage, can work for good, for me being more conformed to Christ
Perhaps it could help get my eyes more on things above and not on things on earth
Jesus has promised to never leave me nor forsake me even in the middle of an airport
I may meet others who have gone through the same test and I can now relate better
End of the Story
Losing luggage is really not a big deal. It’s irritating, but they are just things. There are many, many other challenges that are much more difficult. And in fact our luggage was never lost. The airline was facing a weight limit on a trans-Atlantic flight so they set many bags aside for the next flight.
But this was a test to see if I would give into the temptation of anxious thoughts.
How are you responding to anxious thoughts? With every test comes temptations? Slow down your response, wrestle down the lies and imaginations of worst-case scenarios, list the things you can be thankful for, regain God’s perspective, and act with wisdom.
After thirty hours the luggage was delivered by the airline.
GOD: “My child, I want you to have joy all the time, pray without stopping, and think thanks for everything!”
ME: What? Non-stop? Sounds a bit unrealistic, don’t you think? How can you ask that of me? You know how difficult, irritating, and frustrating life can be? How dreary and mundane routines can seep all my strength down to the bones?
The Lord is kind to us. He knows our frame. He remembers we are dust (Psalm 103:14). He also knows the power of being renewed in our mind to think on truth, so in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, He gave us one of the two most direct commands to be th(i)nkful in all the New Testament.
A Closer Look at the Three
REJOICE ALWAYS. Rejoicing is the outflow of joy inside. Joy is my calm enthusiastic confidence in the presence of God’s face shining on me, the goodness of God’s character, and the perfection of God’s sovereign plans generally and for me specifically. As part of the fruit of the Spirit, it comes from His help inside my heart and mind no matter what is happening around me (Romans 5:3, 2 Corinthians 6:10, James 1:2).
Happiness is tied to happenings. Joy comes from the faces of precious people – this is a theme throughout Scripture. When you spend more time on your face seeking His face, you realize that our struggles are for a host of greater goods – developing character and steadfast consistency, drawing us closer to Him and each other, giving us a chance to advance the gospel, etc. There is not one thing that God does to us because He is evil or angry with us. Every good or bad thing – always – is from His love for us and His desire for our Christlikeness.
PRAY CONSTANTLY. This carries the idea that you practice God’s presence beside you, as though you are in an ongoing conversation with Him throughout the day. Don’t stop praying. Don’t imagine He is not there. See your good health, or your stumbling upon a great sale as gifts from His hand. When the tire goes flat, or the bride abandons the wedding, immediately ask what He wants you to do or say. Your life, your days, must be an ongoing conversation between you and your Creator-Father who doles out enormous wisdom to those who ask for it (James 1:5, Luke 18:1-8).
GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING. When you have a “big God theology,” believing that God is the author, orchestrator, and fine-tuner of every circumstance of your life – AND you have a calm enthusiastic confidence that His face is shining on you, AND you are talking to Him non-stop as you move through your days – you see things not just as good, but from the One Who is good and defines good. They might be little things like smelling blooms or big things like getting pregnant after a decade of waiting and praying. You are not just “thankful for” these things, you are “thankful to” Him. This thankfulness also loops back around and gives you more joy.
Thankfulness As A Firstborn Child
Here is what the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon wrote:
“The more we pray, the more we rejoice. Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul; they fly away, and in their place, streams of sacred delight pour into the heart. At the same time, the more rejoicing, the more praying. When the heart is in a quiet condition and full of joy in the Lord, then also will it be sure to draw near to the Lord and worship. Holy joy and prayer act and react on each other.
Observe, however, what immediately follows in the text: ‘give thanks in everything.’ When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude. When we joy in God for what we have, and believingly pray to him for more, then our souls thank him both in the enjoyment of what we have and in the prospect of what is yet to come.”
Putting It into Practice
Recently it was discovered that my dear husband needed a three-hour delicate surgery. It was a rare disease that had affected his ear. As we readied ourselves to travel seven hours to the city that offered this operation with an expert in this area, our hearts felt a bit anxious and overwhelmed. There was some warning that this cholesteatoma could break through the lining of the brain.
What a perfect opportunity for us to put into practice what we know to be truth! We indeed tried to pray without ceasing – a constant awareness of walking with the Lord and talking to him. The rejoicing was a byproduct of realizing that God loves us and is in control, no matter the outcome. We could rejoice in His promise to never leave, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
As they wheeled David back into theatre (surgery) I was able to think thanks by beginning to write down things for which I gave praise to God.
As the hours went on, my list got longer.
David made it through the surgery and they were able to remove the disease and spare the lining to the brain. As we returned to our little room close to the hospital where we spent 10 days of healing before the follow-up appointment, David wanted to add more the thinkful list. Truly we had so much for which to think thanks.
Now, let me make it clear, that everything is not a bed of roses. In the past week, we had a precious young mother, age 33, pass away in our church. Difficult and dark times may be the corridors God has for us to walk. But as we walk, step-by-step, we can trust His character and promises – our sins are gone and His face is shining in favor on us. We need to practice His presence and talk with Him about everything. And we need to thank Him because everything in our lives has purposefully come from Him.
All four ladies were chatting pleasantly as they drove up to the intersection. Adaleen’s window was halfway down due to the hot temperatures outside. Out of nowhere the assailant’s hand reached in through the open window and pulled the keys out of the ignition, stalling the car. Shock gripped all the women. Adaleen crossed her hands on her chest and became completely still.
Her coworker in the front passenger seat quickly locked the doors as the assailant had forced the locks open. The war of unlock – lock went on for a second or two. Then the hijacker put a knife to Adaleen’s neck. She did not see the knife, but the passenger in the back saw it, and proceeded to throw her lunch pail at the man, which caught him off guard. At that very moment, a security guard drove up behind the car being hijacked. When the attackers saw the guard, they ran. The guy who had taken the keys threw them behind him as he ran.
A Guard’s Witness
The guard came up and checked on them. After telling him that no one was hurt, he asked them to drive up the road a bit to get out of this dangerous area. He wanted to chat with them. They did so. The guard said, “God protected you. I never come down this way, but for some reason I did today” (thank you, God!).
Wow! All four of the women were so shaken up. The one lady who had thrown her lunch pail, realized that her ID as well as her brother’s insulin medicine was in the pail that the men had taken. So they needed to go to a chemist (pharmacy) to get more medicine.
The Test of a Wrong Response
The first pharmacy was located right next to a liquor store. Adaleen was the only believer in the car. She is a young Christian who was baptized only last December, but before Christ, she struggled with sinful addictions. One of the other ladies said she would run over to the liquor store and buy some alcohol for Adaleen so she could stop shaking, but Adaleen said no, she would instead go home and talk to God to calm her.
That phamacy didn’t have the insulin needed so they had to go to a second pharmacy which was located right close to where Adaleen used to buy weed (marijuana). She was again tempted, but refused to run to those sources to cope. She dropped off her friends and headed home to her little flat, where she lives alone.
Th(i)nkful – The Right Response
That evening was the time that we normally met online for counseling, so a little after 7 pm, I got the whole story. Our church text group lit up with thankfulness and prayers for Adaleen because we were all sure that she wouldn’t sleep so well that night.
My heart was so touched with all that Adaleen had experienced just a short time earlier. As some of you may remember, I also experienced an attempted hijacking years ago in Johannesburg with my daughter Elly. When you have a traumatic experience like that, it is so easy to go right back to the emotions you experienced when you later hear a similar story. I sought to help Adaleen as much as I could. We read Scripture and we prayed. I shared what had been helpful for me to think about when I went through that test. Adaleen was shaken, but it was amazing to me that somehow this young believer was so fully conscious that the Lord had been with her and helped her.
I asked her to write down things that she was able to thank God for in the ordeal. I said to please send me screenshots of what she wrote down. Adaleen wrote down twenty different things for which she thanked God. She was able to go to sleep and even slept well. Praise You, Father!!!!
The next day Adaleen went to work again, and her co-workers could not believe how calm she was. They said she must be in denial or not processing the trauma correctly. Adaleen used the attention she had to give God all the glory. She said that God had saved her. God helped her. God had given her good sleep and was giving her peace.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of a very traumatic experience is delicate and important. To choose to take every thought captive is extremely difficult.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
2 Corinthians 10:5
It involves thousands of decisions. We can do the right thing initially – the first big decision is usually the hardest, but then the reinforcing echo-decisions are of critical importance.
I have found that having a friend to walk through that pivotal time is so helpful. Just touching base with a daily text on how things are going can be the thing needed to stay on track with choosing to think thanks.
Ataraxis, Not Anxiety
Ataraxis: (Ancient Greek), a state of tranquility, freedom from anxiety and mental disturbance
Ataraxis was a new word for me. I love the meaning. However, true tranquility can only come from one source! When Paul exhorts the Philippian believers to not be anxious, he wrote that they should instead pour out their specific burdens to the Lord with thanksgiving, and then the ataraxis of the Lord, which defies understanding (as it did with Adaleen’s coworkers) would keep, hem in, shield and protect them (Philippians 4:7).
I wonder if you have ever taken God up on His challenge in Philippians 4:6-7. When a new challenge comes your way, I urge you to try. It may not be an attempted hijacking with a knife at your throat, but whatever is trying to hijack your thoughts and lead you to despair, arrest it! Emotions are real but they are not reality. Still, they can be wild animals that continuously claw and bite at your soul.
Choose to take those thoughts captive. With strength and clarity, think thanks for God never leaving or forsaking you during the incident He chose in order to build your proven character. Thank Him for using every and all things to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). It may be a wresting match in your mind, but as you win with the Lord’s help, ataraxis comes. It may seem illusive at first through the fire and fog of the trial, but it will eventually come into focus.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Oh, no!” a friend cried out as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Her left wrist caught her fall and yielded to a small bone fracture.
My dear friend ended up in the emergency room, had to have her ring cut off, and her left hand is now out of commission for four weeks, right during the holidays!
In a totally different part of the world my dear daughter in the Lord, Adaleen, also had a challenging Christmas. She went to worship with the church on Christmas Day and then returned to her tiny apartment and enjoyed Christmas all alone.
She writes:
It was so peaceful Gave thanks to the Lord Opened my gifts I ate until I couldn’t move 😄 And then took a little nap🙏🏽
“The hardest time to go through a hard time is in the good times.”
David Brown
Another friend and coworker is missing a recently deceased spouse. The internal conflict of going through that first Christmas without a special someone is legendary.
Suffering a broken wrist when you want to serve others in the kitchen, or being alone at a time when family gathers, or navigating a joyful season when your life partner will no longer share it with you. These things are hard…..
……but even harder at Christmas.
Why Is It So Difficult?
We have an expectation inside of what is right and good, and when Christmas comes, and one or more of those conditions are not there, it exaggerates the pain. Imagine Christmas without any music. Or Christmas without any lights or decorations anywhere. It would just seem so wrong, downright disturbing and dystopian.
But play the music and put up decorations everywhere, and then imagine Christmas where you cannot participate in any meaningful way due to illness, injury, or responsibilities elsewhere, or Christmas without dear ones who have passed away. Again, it just seems wrong. The radiance of the Advent turns up the contrast on the darkness in your heart. I remember when my mom died that I didn’t want Christmas to come. I wanted to avoid it because it hurt so much.
I often think of the advice given to Ciara when she returned home from quadruple amputation last year. Her friend told her to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
She wanted to give up. It was too hard, but God gave her grace to pursue gratitude and trust in a sovereign God. She started to think thanks. Her slogan has become Always grateful.
You choose to think the right thoughts. It’s a work in progress. We fall. We get back up. We choose to be strong and let our hearts take courage, we who wait on the LORD (Psalm 31:24).
You download grace from the LORD’s inexhaustible storehouse to think thanks in every circumstance.
This is not easy! This is maturity above immaturity. This is warfare of the mind!
“I WILL offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.”
Psalm 116:17
It’s a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sacrifices costs you something!!
Processing the Hard
You don’t ignore the pain. You are allowed to pour out your heart to the Lord. You can do it in anguish even, but run to Him with your pain and not awayfrom Him. He wants to make you better, steadfastly faithful through this, more like His Son, Jesus.
Learning to search for thankful thoughts when you are sad and struggling is a feat indeed.
My friend Debbie, who broke her wrist did that. In fact, she found comfort and inspiration in Ciara’s godly response. How beautiful is that!!
Ciara and Debbie are both worshipping God with their gratitude in the midsts of their pain and frustration. It is like pouring fertilizer on their reward one day in heaven.
We don’t get to choose what kind of tests the Lord will take us through. He chooses our crosses. But we get to choose how we respond.
Having a friend to walk with you during these times is helpful. Just to express to that friend:
“Yes, it is hard, but I am choosing to think on truth.”
The Lord has not left me (Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:5b)
It could have been worse (Revelation 16:17-21)
It will pass; even if it lasts as long as this earthly life, we are headed to a Celestial City where there is no more pain (Hebrews 11:14-16, 12:22-29, Revelation 21:4)
God’s Word is a rock of refuge to us (Psalm 71:3a)
Others may gain inspiration from me thinking thanks which in turn brings more glory to God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Embrace the Hard
I am challenging myself here, as well as seeking to inspire you, to not run away from the “hard,” but instead face it, run toward it, embrace it. You will get through it!!
Step by step, download grace. Cry out to the Lord for help and think thanks!
My two friends who are downloading grace to think thanks in their hard times.
This girl brings me joy. 😃 She is a “fueler” for me, not a “drainer” – spending time with her increases my joy, settles peace in my heart, and expands my imagination. She mentioned that the song by Steph Schlueter entitled, “Counting My Blessings,” is one of her favorites. 🎶
Most of us are very familiar with the fuel gauge in our cars. It reflects what level of fuel is in the tank. But, try to picture an “emotional gauge” inside of you. It reflects how much strength and resilience you have in your “emotional tank” to meet new events and people and struggles each day. People who care a lot and give a lot can empty their emotional tank. If they do it too often without sufficiently refueling, they will struggle with burnout. And your emotional gauge affects your physical and spiritual gauges as well; these three are tied together.
There are several fuels that can slowly refill your emotional tank, like peace and solitude and meditating on God’s truth. But there is nothing like the fuel called “joy.” Joy is the #1 fuel for your emotional tank. When you have no joy, you can barely move forward. But joy acts like a medicine.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
So, where can you get this fuel? What is the level of your joy storage to refuel your emotional tank? Is it brimming to the fullest and pouring over?
Joy Is Different
Most of you already know that joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness is a response to positive external happenings; happiness disappears when things go sour. Joy is an internal mindset that sustains you when things are sweet or sour. So, how can you get this “internal frame of mind?”
Meg Bucher gave us the insight that “Happiness is a reaction to something great. Joy is the product of someone great.” True joy is connected to the Creator. In the biblical worldview,
Joy is my calm enthusiastic confidence in the presence of God’s face shining on me, the goodness of God’s character, and the perfection of God’s sovereign plans. In short, God’s delight in me, God’s kindness to me, and God’s control in my life.
We can differentiate joy and happiness in several ways, including:
Source: Joy is a fruit of the internal workings of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22), while happiness comes from things outside of me (having a flowing spring within rather than seeking a stream nearby – John 4:14).
Duration: Joy is a long-lasting state of being, while happiness is temporary and fleeting.
Origin: Joy is developed internally, while happiness is achieved externally.
Nature: Joy is a deep enthusiastic peace that comes from within, while happiness is an outward reflection of circumstances. Happiness may be more animated than joy, but joy has more staying power over time and through hardships.
Creating the Fuel of Joy
How do we create the fuel of joy? We extract it from God’s truth and from deposits God has placed within our circumstances. It takes a choice. It takes thought. We must choose to meditate on the good things that God has given us. Being th(i)nkful is what creates the fuel of joy.
Even if our circumstances are not that great, we stop and think for a bit, and find these deposits of joy. In fact, we are to count it all joy when we face trials. Why? God is building long-term virtue in us, and God loves long-term virtue in His children. Our calm enthusiastic confidence in God’s love, goodness and perfect plans for us fuels and sustains our steadfastness when driving down the sometimes long road of sorrow and heartache. Joy heals. Joy gives power.
Gratitude is the first step to building joy into our lives…
Jim Wilder
We are at God’s table every day, and it is free, whatever we have. It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friend’s table to find fault with things…Now when we are at the table of God (for all God’s administrations to us are his table)…for us to be finding fault and to be discontented is a great aggravation of our sin.
Jeremiah Burrough, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
So many of us are trouble-shooters, problem-solvers, which has a nasty side effect – we spend our days focusing on trouble and problems. True, we can’t just live all day in the bliss of thankfulness and militant contentedness where we leave everything a mess and get nothing done. But in our mornings and evenings, and repeatedly oscillating throughout the day, we need to focus on things we are thankful for.
Think the thanks, express the thanks, remember and honor the One to whom the thanks is due. You are creating the fuel of joy for your emotional tank. The ancient word “rejoice” means to intensify joy by repeating it, recalling it, and expanding upon it. It is a sister to being th(i)nkful.
“I do not think the church rejoices enough. We all grumble enough and groan enough: but very few of us rejoice enough.”
Charles Spurgeon
Why Invest in Joy Fuel?
Perhaps the first reason should be because God asked us to rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4), to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to even rejoice and give thanks when we face persecution (Matthew 5:11-12).
But also, when we purposefully develop a habit of gratitude, and discover the huge deposits of joy in the discipline of thankfulness, we become gospel-contagious. So few people in this world see joy. Their eyes and hearts are heavy with sorrow, regret, and guilt. A joyful person is an anomaly. Many people are skeptical when they see a truly joyful person. “Why are they being that way? That can’t be real.” But a follower of Jesus who knows the gospel well has a treasure trove of things to be thankful for and joyful about.
Most of you know this good news, but some do not, so read this carefully. Jesus of Nazareth was God in human form who came to die in our place and for our sins to save us from God’s judgment. Hundreds saw him after he rose from the dead, and the news of his teachings, death, burial, and resurrection has spread around the world. One day soon, Jesus is returning to planet earth.
A person can only be forgiven of their lifetime of sins when he or she believes in what Jesus did and asks God to save them (Romans 10:9-10). When someone turns from their sin to the Savior, God declares them fully righteous in His court, gives them spiritual rebirth, adopts them as His children, and sends His Spirit to live inside them beginning the lifetime work of transforming them to become more like Jesus. They have peace with God and begin to experience the peace of God.
When Christians sin, we can confess that to Him, be cleansed from that unrighteousness and be restored to the joy of a clean conscience. That joy is catchy! Joy is attractive. Your obedience in cultivating thankfulness and joy could be the catalyst that brings another to Christ!
“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”
In this excerpt from a recent article dated May 22, 2024, notice what the secular scientific community has observed are the effects of thinking thanks:
Over time, a consistent gratitude practice goes beyond ephemeral emotions — it fosters lasting changes in the brain. By engaging regularly in gratitude practices, like journaling, mindful reflection, and expressing thanks, we modify our neural pathways, transforming a simple act of thankfulness into a sustainable habit. This habit enhances our mental resilience and facilitates a more optimistic outlook with ease, establishing a solid foundation for emotional stability.
Interesting!! This is not from a biblical source. But laboratory science once again testifies that what God has exhorted us to do is really healthy for us to do.
Our “Take” on the Matter
When we take the time to process, and we deliberately choose to discover things for which to give thanks, we are opting to have a certain take. We could select things about which we are especially aggravated in the same situation, and would thereby go for a completely different take on the matter.
You decide what you can “take” from any situation. You may say, “I cannot help myself. I naturally notice all the flaws, shortcomings, and disadvantages.” I would like to suggest that you don’t have to. You can formulate new thinking patters. God will help you as you call out to Him for grace to obey His command in Ephesians 5:20.
“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
What God has called us to do doesn’t feel natural at first, but it is definitely beneficial. The article referenced above reinforces the emerging data that the habit of thinking gratitude is good for you. Your emotional wellbeing is improved, as well as ability to sleep, to name a few benefits. Those are good reasons to pursue being thinkful, but of much more importance is the exhortation from the Creator of the human brain Himself. Even if you did not receive those physical health benefits, it would be very good for you to develop this mental discipline, purely to be obedient to our Creator God.
Do You Have Feet on Your Intentions?
May I encourage you to begin today?
Even if it would just be one item a day for which you give thanks … in a year, that would 365 items.🎉 It doesn’t actually take much energy to choose to be different, to deliberately have a different take on people and situations. However, it does take forethought. You need to actively plan to pursue gratitude, because the natural human disposition is to be negative.
Sanctification is the process of God molding you to be more and more like Jesus. Following Christ’s example, and choosing to think thanks, is possible as the Spirit works in you. Through prayer, you can ask Christ for his enabling help throughout the day …
to pause your action or talk,
to scan all aspects of your situation,
to select something or someone in it or around it for which you can be thankful,
to express that thankfulness verbally or in written form, and
to thereby develop those neural pathways.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Let God start formulating in you the habit to think thanks and enjoy the natural consequences!
th(i)nkful 