Can We Give Thanks in Difficult Times?

Scripture — Colossians 1:11-14 (NRSV)

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Devotion

I have known Christians who confuse genuine gratitude to God with denial of life’s challenges and pains. They advocate an “always look on the bright side of life” philosophy that minimizes or ignores the hard things we all experience. They think this sort of denial is required of Christians.

But this approach to life and faith does not fit with what we see in Scripture. The Psalms, for example, are filled with gut-wrenching prayers that honestly and painfully express the suffering and injustice of life (see Psalm 38, for instance). From a biblical point of view, lamentation is appropriate, even necessary, if we’re going to have a genuine, growing, intimate relationship with God.

But can we acknowledge the pains of life and still be grateful? Can we live in what feels like two opposite realities? The Apostle Paul would answer “Yes. We can.” Take Colossians 1:11-12, for example. In this passage, Paul prays that the Colossians may be “joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” But notice the surprising context for this prayer. Reading all of verse 11 and the first part of verse 12 we find: “May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from [God’s] glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father” (italics added). Notice that joyful thanksgiving happens as the Colossians are “enduring everything with patience.” From Paul’s letter, we do not learn much about what exactly they have to endure. But endurance goes hand in hand with hard things, including suffering. Even though the Colossian believers are struggling, according to Paul they can and should be joyfully giving thanks to God.

When I am going through difficult times, I am helped to be thankful by my Christian community. When brothers and sisters in Christ lift up my concerns and struggles in prayer, I am comforted and grateful for this care. When they offer thanks for God’s gifts in their lives and mine, my heart emerges from the dark cave of my own pain. I can rejoice in gratitude along with others even when my situation feels dire. This does not mean I have to pretend that life is all rosy. Far from it! But sharing life with other believers enables us both to be honest about our afflictions and, at the same time, to give thanks for God’s gifts.

Of course, it’s a special gift when my brothers and sisters are with me to offer their concern and encouragement. But sometimes their help comes in different and more indirect ways. For example, earlier this year I had major surgery. My first days of recovery were quite difficult. I felt both distressed and discouraged. However many people reached out to me via text or email. As I read their notes, I felt grateful for their concern and could offer genuine thanks to God.

I was also helped to give thanks by a song written by a friend of mine from Texas. One night in the hospital while I was feeling significant pain and sadness, I listened to “Thank You, Lord” by Jon Guerra. In this song, Jon expresses thanks for many of life’s blessings. It begins:

Thank you, Lord; For this day;
For this morning; For this grace.
What am I? I am yours
Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord

This is life, This is love
To be still and know You
All that’s lost will be gained
Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord

As I listened to this song, I began to feel grateful for gifts of God I had been taking for granted, such as excellent medical care, successful surgery, caring nurses, the loving presence of my wife, medicines that reduce pain, the prayers of many friends, God’s being with me in the hospital, etc. My prayers of thanksgiving to God came from my heart. They didn’t take away my pain, however. Not did they “make it all better.” But they did help me to access “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:6-7). This was indeed another gift of God, one mediated through the music of a friend and, I’m sure, supported by the prayers of many others.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: God Worked in Creation, Making Humans Workers in His Image (Colossians 1:1–14).