Count It Joy

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. —James 1:2

The Bible instructs us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). While the command is straightforward, practicing it isn’t so easy.

How do you give thanks when you have to host Thanksgiving again, because nobody else will do it? When you’re unable to even gather with your family? When you’re experiencing the grief of losing someone you love?

One of the most practical ways I apply thankfulness in all circumstances, especially for those I wish weren’t happening, is found in James 1:2— I count it all joy. I sit down and list all the reasons I have to be thankful.

I’d encourage you to do the same. Make a list of what you can be thankful for. Thank God that your family can gather when many cannot, that you have the money to buy a turkey and the health to cook it, that this difficulty is making you see that He alone is your provider.

Thank God that you can trust Him in all circumstances—and that in everything you can give thanks.