thankful, regardless….

Would you rather be an Olympic silver medalist or a bronze medalist? Sounds easy, right?! We’d rather win gold than silver; and we’d rather win silver than bronze.

But studies have shown that, on average, bronze medalists are much happier about their accomplishments than silver medalists. FACT! Those who came second spent way too much time regretting how close they were to winning the gold, while those who took third think about how close they came to not get a medal at all! Life can be lived obsessing on regrets and disappointments. Or it can be lived with gratitude….. so which is it for you right now?

Biblical faith doesn’t get any richer than this, as Habakkuk affirms that his faith, his joy, and his thanksgiving don’t depend on the circumstances:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. (Habakkuk 3)

Three hundred years ago a Pastor lost his wife and children to an accident and then lost his sight. He wrote:

My Jesus, as thou wilt! Though seen through many a tear,
Let not my star of hope grow dim or disappear;
Since thou on earth hast wept and sorrowed oft alone,
If I must weep with thee, “My Lord, thy will be done.”

My Jesus, as thou wilt! All shall be well with me;
Each changing future scene I gladly trust with thee;
Straight to my home above I travel calmly on,
And sing, in life or death, “My Lord, Thy will be done.”

It’s easy to be thankful when life goes just as you had hoped and planned. But the deepest expressions of gratitude come when you can see the joy and the goodness beyond the disappointments. So how about it, just as Paul encouraged: ‘Thankful in all circumstances’?!