GRATITUDE WHEN IT IS HARD – The Church Of Christ, 15 Grey Street, Warri

Theme: The Resilient Faith: Bouncing Back Not Breaking

Text: Habakkuk 3:17–18; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

By: Godwin, Eyiangho

INTRODUCTION

It is natural for man to express gratitude to fellow man and God when something good is done or happens to him.

But when evil befalls a man, he is discouraged, surprised, and he will ask several questions: Why should this happen to me? Where is God? Is He not aware? Could He stop it from happening? And so on.

Also, there are some, the Atheists, who will not show gratitude to God at all, whether something good or bad happens to them, since they do not believe in His existence.

In addition, man expresses gratitude to God when he achieves success—for instance, sportsmen and women do so right there on the field.

Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation, thanks, the state of being grateful, thankful, thankfulness.

Therefore, gratitude when it is hard involves appreciating God during difficulties, persecutions or hardships (trials).

These problems of life that may make it hard to thank God are serious disappointments, sickness and diseases, lack of money and food, protracted problems, natural hazards, maltreatment/suffering for preaching the gospel, trials in successive order, death of a loved one, bad government, and what have you?

Nevertheless, in all these and more, we are to be grateful to God for we are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37).

Thus, the aim of this lesson is to make us know and encourage us to practise this key and unique lifestyle in Christianity, which distinguishes us from the people of the world.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF GRATITUDE WHEN IT WAS HARD

Let us begin with the Old Testament text of the lesson, Habakkuk 3:17–18.

In the time of Prophet Habakkuk, sin, wickedness and injustice were at their peak, and when the prophet foresaw God’s judgment through the invading Babylonian army coming into Judah, he was so afraid that he trembled.

However, when he bounced back on his faith, fear was removed, and he said he would patiently wait on the Lord, that even though there was famine, he would rejoice in the God of his salvation (God, his Saviour) for He was his strength and would preserve him (vv. 16–19).

Here we see Habakkuk had peace, not worried, renewed his strength by waiting on God, trusting and thanking Him in the face of impending calamities (Isaiah 40:31; Matthew 6:25).

Beloved, whatever problem that is confronting us, let us thank God, who gives us eternal salvation, that He is able to make us triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14a).

JOB

In Job’s heartbreaking trials, he lost all he had except his wife in a day, yet he worshipped and thanked God as the Giver and Taker of life, and his latter life was better than the former (Job 1:20–21; 42:12,13).

Like Job, when trials come to us in successive order. We must thank God and continue to worship, and do His on earth as He can always make our lives better.

TEN LEPERS

On the healing of the ten lepers, only one showed gratitude to God and Christ condemned the ingratitude of the other nine lepers (Luke 17:11–19). This is an explicit contrast to our study, but if it happens in any of our lives, it would be so bad (James 4:17).

NEW TESTAMENT ERA

In the New Testament, or Christian era, gratitude to God is a binding principle of life or a lifestyle all Christians must practise.

It is not a matter of choice to thank God when it is hard, but it is compulsory because we are commanded to do so.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

From these two passages, Christians have no option than to thank God in all circumstances of life.

PETER AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES

Peter and the rest of the Apostles were grateful to God when they were beaten for preaching the gospel (Acts 5:29, 40, 41).

WAYS TO SHOW APPRECIATION TO GOD

One of the ways of showing appreciation to God is singing praises (Hebrews 13:15). Paul and Silas sang praises, grateful to God, when it was hard for them in the prison, and they were delivered (Acts 16:25–26).

Apostle Paul gloried in his severe and diverse trials (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). As a result, Christians must be thankful to God when it is hard or not, appreciating Him especially, for unseen evil He prevents from happening to us.

Thanking God with praises through Christ weakens and silences Satan in our various trials (Colossians 3:17; Philippians 2:9–10).

CONCLUSION

Gratitude to God is the first weapon of victory over life problems (Job 1:20–21; John 11:41).

When we thank God when it is hard, we exercise our faith that God knows about the problem, it is common, He allows it, He is in control, He has made a way of escape, He gives grace to bear it, it is for our good, and He will surely grant victory (1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 119:71; Romans 8:28; John 16:33; Matthew 19:26; 1 John 5:4).