Have you ever faced a bad situation? A situation where no matter how you looked at it, there was no way you were going to come out of the situation in any positive or even neutral way. There was no winning. In fact, there was nothing except varying degrees of loss.
I feel that way every time I get a letter from my bank. It doesn’t matter if that letter is just a monthly statement, a paid advertisement, privacy change notice, or some other regulatory letter. Before I even open that letter, I get a bad feeling, like I’m going to be facing a bad situation.
More seriously though. Have you faced a situation where you’re at the hospital and the doctors walk in with a distraught face? Or the police department calling you on your cell phone. Maybe the bad situation is when the school is calling. Or you’re sitting in the aftermath of a car accident. I bet when you’re faced with situations like that, it’s hard to even think positively, let alone give thanks to God for those instances.
Yet, it was precisely in a situation like that, where Daniel, a Jewish man, an immigrant that worked his way up the bureaucracy to be a big deal in government, finds himself.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 6:10 ESV
The document that was signed was a decree that had declared all people would worship a statute whenever the sound of a gong was heard in the city. This decree went in direct opposition to the religious beliefs held by Daniel. What’s interesting is that Daniel’s boss, the king, was the one that made the decree and Daniel’s boss was familiar enough with Daniel’s religious beliefs that this type of decree shouldn’t have been made because it would jeopardize the life of his trustworthy subordinate.
Does this scenario sound like a familiar in our society today? A boss or a leader makes a rule or policy and it immediately negatively impacts the people closest to you, maybe even yourself? The jeopardy that is faced is serious and there seems to only be loss ahead of you or the people you know most likely to be impacted. If that’s true, then you know that giving thanks is probably the last thing we want to do.
Yet, Daniel, knowing what it would cost him, gives thanks to God for the situation he is facing anyway. How many of us would be so bold or courageous as to give thanks to God when this situation could have been prevented by God? Soon after this, Daniel is thrown in the lions den to pay the price for violating the law.
So how can we give thanks when the circumstances we face are grim? I have three ways we can practice thanksgiving to God in light of grim circumstances.
1. Sing praise to God about other circumstances
The easiest way to get started with giving thanks is by thanking God for other situations first. Just because you can’t give thanks about this current situation you are facing, doesn’t mean that there aren’t others where God is owed thanks. You do this by starting off with a short reflection on what God has done in those other situations. Taking a step back to look at the whole before jumping into conclusions is the easiest way to get your momentum going in giving thanks to God.
Compare this method to reflecting on the good before looking at the bad.
2. Confess your limitations
This may not seem like a method of giving thanks, but when you start by prostrating yourself and confessing your inability, then giving thanks to God becomes easier. It becomes easier because you realize that God now has the ability to provide for your limited self.
God always answers those of us who can honestly confess our inability and have to rely on God for salvation.
3. Ask for increased strength for the current circumstance
Again, this may not seem like thanksgiving, but when you are humble enough to ask God for help, you are actually saying that God is the only one who can help you. In a roundabout way you are giving thanks to God because he will help you with the strength to move forward through the circumstance.
Conclusion
If you are having a difficult time giving thanks in a bad situation, try these three methods to jump start your thanksgiving attitude. I know these three methods definitely help me when I am systematically thrown aback by my situation and circumstances.
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