When we focus on what we have the opportunity to be thankful for, a subtle shift takes place in our heart and in our mind. The focus moves from ourselves and our own circumstances to God and His generosity, goodness, and faithfulness.
I can look back and see how my struggle to fully trust God has been much like a game of tug of war. At times I trust Him so easily, yet at other times, I seem to fight with all my might by trying to achieve in my own strength rather than trusting His. So I began to seek out how to trust God more quickly and completely.
Sometimes we say we want to get well, yet we aren’t really willing to do what it will take. We are more comfortable in our known misery than in the discomfort of the unknown.
God desires his children to be healthy. He wants healing for us more than we want it for ourselves. God desires a relationship with us more than our healing.
Maintaining peace and joy during a crisis depends on where we direct our attention. Worrying takes my eyes off God, and puts them on myself and my circumstances, to operate in my own knowledge and strength. That robs me of peace and joy. Living moment by moment, however, trusting God’s provision for the moment, and being thankful for that provision, keeps my focus off my problem and focuses on the solver of my problem. This keeps me in perfect peace.
