In Times of Trial, Why We Need an Attitude of Gratitude

Can we still have the right attitude toward God when everything is falling apart?

It is easy to praise God when things are going well. What happens when things are not? Can we still praise God and know that He is in control? Do we believe that He will work out the details of our lives if we trust and turn to Him?

How can we learn the attitude Paul had? He said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

When life is hard, do we pull away from God?

Have you ever noticed how hard life can be? Everything keeps speeding up, and it is a challenge to get everything accomplished in a day. People are more frustrated about life and their circumstances than ever before.

Maybe you feel you don’t have enough money or enough time for recreation. Perhaps there are more bills at the end of the paycheck. Maybe you are struggling with a health issue and, no matter what you try, nothing seems to work, and you are discouraged and feel you have been abandoned.

Or maybe your relationships are not going the way you planned. You feel misunderstood and not appreciated.

How do these situations affect our relationship with our Creator? Do we pull away, thinking that He has abandoned us? Do we blame God for our unfortunate circumstances? Do we have the attitude, “I am entitled to more than what I am getting”?

God says that we should learn to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves. That has been a difficult concept for me. We all like it when things are going well and things fall into place. When we feel that everything is going our way, it may be easy to praise God.

But God wants us to praise Him in every circumstance. Am I content in every state I am in? If not, what can I do about it?

A gratitude journal

I have found that one of the best ways to thwart the victim mentality of “why me, God?” is to write a list a blessings—a gratitude journal. There is always something to be grateful for.

God does not leave us comfortless in the trials that we face. A friend of mine would comfort me by encouraging me to “look for the blessings today.” Even in the midst of my all-encompassing grief when I lost my husband very suddenly and unexpectedly, she would remind me of that. Now, I have a new approach to looking at each day.

I have heard our pastor say in sermons over the years that God will work everything out for good, but it doesn’t necessarily feel good at the time. Our walk with God is not about “feeling good.” Yes, we are given blessings for obedience, but we are not guaranteed an easy walk. The road that Christ walked is narrow (Matthew 7:14).

Knowing we are not promised to have an easy life helps me to lower my expectations of what this life is supposed to be or not be. I think we have picked up from our society that if things are not going perfectly, then there is something wrong.

But in the face of harrowing conditions, some give up while others strive to be the best they can. I believe many of those who persevere apply an attitude of gratitude. Focusing on the blessings God has given us, and being truly thankful, helps us grow in humility and contentment.

I found this quote by Philip S. Bernstein to be thought-provoking: “We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.”

When I looked for God’s blessings, I remembered that God had given my husband and me almost 25 years of a loving, strong marriage, two beautiful children and a life that was so rich with blessings. I know there are others who have never experienced what we had. They are still waiting for these adventures.

Extend gratitude and encouragement to others

Extending gratitude and encouragement to others is a way to focus outward.

We have all seen people in worse circumstances than ourselves. There is always someone else out there who needs encouragement, a kind word or a smile. Let the people in your life know that you appreciate them. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Trust the Master Potter

God knows what He is doing in each of our lives. He knows how to mold and shape us so we are ready to serve in His Kingdom. As we look at our circumstances, having an attitude of gratitude can get us through our most difficult trials. Learning to trust God and what He is doing is a familiar theme throughout the Bible. Isaiah 64:8 says: “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.”

Our lives are not our own. There is a bigger purpose and plan that God is working out here. He knows what we have to go through to prepare us for the future He has for all mankind.

The Master Potter is at work, and our job is to allow Him to create in us what He needs so we can serve Him for all eternity. An attitude of gratitude will help us in every situation we go through.

Lori Bryant attends the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Joplin, Missouri, with her two children, Kayla and Andrew.

For more about trials and gratitude, see:

• Joy in the Midst of a Trial?
• Which One of the 10 (Christ’s Teaching on Thanksgiving)
• Making Every Day a Day of Thanksgiving!
• Give Thanks for Fleas?
• Facing My Husband’s Death: Learning to “Walk by Faith and Not by Sight”