Introduction: One More Thing…and Then Another
Have you ever had one of those seasons where it seems like life just won’t let up?
You solve one problem…
only to discover another one waiting around the corner.
That’s been my life lately.
A little over a month ago, I retired from my “day job”. In preparation for that, a few months earlier, my wife and I had purchased a home in Casper, Wyoming. We love the location. We love being close to two of our children and our two grandchildren. We love the possibilities this new chapter of life holds.
What we haven’t loved are the seemingly endless surprises that have come with the house.
Drainage problems.
Water issues.
Repairs.
Unexpected expenses.
Projects that looked simple but somehow turned into much larger undertakings.
Sometimes it feels as though every time we finish one project, another one (or two or three) appears to take its place.
If I’m honest, there have been moments when I’ve wondered:
“Lord… can we catch a break?”
Perhaps you’ve been there too.
Maybe your challenges have nothing to do with a house.
Perhaps it’s your health.
Your finances.
A difficult relationship.
A prodigal child.
Loneliness.
Grief.
Or simply one exhausting season after another.
When life becomes difficult, one temptation quietly begins creeping into our hearts.
We start focusing almost exclusively on what’s wrong.
God Is Still Good
One of the simplest—and most profound—statements in all of Scripture appears over and over again.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
I’ve noticed something about that verse.
It doesn’t say:
“Give thanks because life is going well.”
It doesn’t say:
“Give thanks because all your prayers have been answered.”
Or:
“Give thanks because your circumstances are easy.”
Instead, the reason for our gratitude is much deeper.
God is good.
Not merely because of what He does.
But because of who He is.
His character doesn’t fluctuate with my circumstances.
He is no less good on my hardest day than on my easiest.
The Enemy Loves a Negative Focus
I’ve become convinced that one of the enemy’s favorite strategies is remarkably simple.
He doesn’t always have to destroy our lives.
Sometimes he simply has to redirect our attention.
Toward disappointment.
Toward frustration.
Toward everything that isn’t going the way we hoped.
The more we stare at our problems, the larger they seem to become.
Eventually they begin crowding out our gratitude.
Hope slowly gives way to discouragement.
Optimism gives way to negativity.
We begin wondering if God has forgotten us.
Or worse…
whether He is somehow punishing us.
I’ve had those thoughts.
Maybe you have too.
But they’re not from the heart of God.
Paul points out in his second letter to the church at Corinth:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Gratitude Changes What We See
I’ve found myself trying to ask a different question.
Not:
“Lord, why is this happening?”
But:
“Lord, what are You teaching me through this?”
That simple shift changes everything.
Instead of dwelling on what is going wrong, I begin remembering what is going right.
I’m thankful that we were able to purchase this home.
I’m thankful that one of our children and our grandchildren live nearby, and one of our other children lives in the home full-time, looking after it when we are away.
I’m thankful that God has given us the resources to address these problems.
I’m thankful for the health and energy to keep working.
I’m thankful for a wife who walks beside me through all of it.
Most of all…
I’m thankful that none of these circumstances change who God is.
This Too Shall Pass
One thought has encouraged me repeatedly during these challenging times.
This season will not last forever.
Eventually the projects will be finished.
The repairs will be complete.
The frustrations will fade into stories we’ll laugh about someday.
We’ll finally have time simply to enjoy our home and all that this town has to offer.
But even that isn’t my greatest hope.
Later in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds us:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Paul isn’t minimizing suffering.
He experienced more hardship than most of us ever will.
Instead, he’s comparing our temporary struggles with the eternity that awaits those who belong to Christ.
When viewed against forever…
Even our hardest seasons become temporary. Light. Momentary.
The Best News of All
Ultimately, my greatest reason for gratitude has nothing to do with my house.
Or my retirement.
Or my health.
Or my circumstances.
My greatest reason for gratitude is that Jesus Christ gave His life so that I could spend eternity with Him.
Because of His death and resurrection, my future is secure.
Nothing happening today can change that.
Nothing happening tomorrow can take it away.
That doesn’t erase today’s problems.
But it does put them into their proper perspective.
A Final Encouragement
Life isn’t always good.
Sometimes it’s exhausting.
Sometimes it’s heartbreaking.
Sometimes it feels like one challenge after another.
But God is still good.
Always.
His goodness is not measured by the absence of difficulty.
It is revealed most clearly in the cross.
And because of that…
I can choose gratitude.
Not because every circumstance deserves it.
But because He does.
A Question to Sit With
What circumstance has been competing for my attention lately…
and how might my perspective change if I chose to focus instead on the unchanging goodness of God?
Master's Canvas - Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter 