Are you a thankful person? Someone who counts their blessings? Do you stop to think of all the good in your life or are you always complaining seeing the negative side of everything? Are you joyful, happy, content? We are told to be thankful, to let the peace of God rule in our hearts: Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Do you allow the peace of God to rule in your heart? I think it is an active moment by moment choice to be peaceful and thankful. Life comes at us hard sometimes and it is so easy to feel overwhelmed or afraid, but I think it is possible and God’s desire for us is to let peace rule in our hearts. 

We are told several times to be thankful, Ephesians 5:20 says: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says: In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  Wow, being thankful for all things, even the hard or sad things? How? I will be the first to admit that there are times that being thankful in a hard situation is not easy, but if it were not possible he would not have told us to do it. I think like anything it is a choice. God does not make us be thankful against our will, but he asks us to, and I believe when we do we are stepping out in faith, saying,” Lord, I do not understand why, I cannot see how, but I know you are God and you are faithful and you will do according to your will and for my good, so, therefore, I am thankful for this momentary test or trial. 

Roman’s 14:17 says: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Philippians 4:7 says: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. So, how do we have peace? If you are a child of God and belong to his kingdom, peace is a part of that kingdom. When you reach out in faith, with a thankful heart and ask God for his peace, he will rain down peace in such measure that we cannot understand it. We will simply find ourselves resting in Jesus knowing that,” He’s got it!”. 

God’s desire is not that we go through life worrying and full of anxiety. His desire is that we choose to be thankful and we ask him to give us his peace in the midst of life’s storms. To understand that he is faithful. He will never leave us or forsake us. That alone brings me peace & makes me thankful! 

Practice peacefulness and thankfulness. In other words, make a choice when you wake up to think of at least two things to think on that make you feel thankful. I am sure if you are like me there are certainly more than two, but at least there are two. And in those moments when you feel your peace starting to fade, think on all the times you thought,”this is it”, nothing will ever be okay again and look at where you are, most likely better than okay.

God’s word is such a rich, vast and deep well of scripture, life that will feed your soul. If you immerse yourself in it, it will not bring fear or unthankfulness, no the opposite will happen, peace will invade your mind and heart and thankfulness will take root.

Once you have felt that unshakable confidence in Christ take hold and bring about these emotions, pass it along, everyone needs a little more peace and a lot more thankfulness! We may never see it in our world, but we can see it individually, in every day seasons of life.

There is something in the knowing that “God has it, He can handle it,” that makes me feel calm.