Thankful Thorns.

According to Mark Hillis “thankful thorns” are what produces a strong Christian character and a thankful and prayerful spirit.

Most Difficult Things to Do.

What would you say are the hardest things in life for us to do? I’m sure there are many things that you could think of. Four that immediately come into my mind are; forgiving someone that has hurt you deeply, saying good-bye to a loved one, facing a major illness or injury, and overcoming personal fears and anxieties. Would you agree?

In this episode, part-3, of this series I have entitled, “Thankful Therapy,” I will look at one of the hardest things the Bible says a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should do; and that is being thankful to God during difficult times. I’ve named this episode “Thankful Thorns,” and I will begin by reading a short passage from the Bible; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Certainties in Life

Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789,

“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

This is certainly not an optimistic view on life; that the only guarantees presented to us are things going against us. It is a reality we must recognize that life presents many unavoidable struggles and challenges.

Jesus was especially honest with His disciples in John 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

In saying this, He is recognizing that it’s hard to be thankful in the midst of adversity, but as believers we can find encouragement in His triumph, whereby a believer in Him can associate and take refuge.

The Characteristics of a Rose

An analogy for our life experiences can be found in the characteristics of a rose. Just as a rose offers moments of beauty and joy, life also presents us with its own beautiful moments alongside the thorny stems of hardships.

Do we view the thorny trials that God ordains in our lives as entirely negative? Or can we set our faith on seeing the flower God is cultivating and the beauty of His goodness during tough times?

It’s our nature to see any level of resistance in our lives as a negative, while the scriptures reveal that how we view the struggles in our lives, from God’s perspective, are for the benefit of our spiritual growth. This outlook can make a big difference as to how we face them. Romans 5:3,4 surprises us with the challenge to take joy in tribulations.

“… we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:3,4

Life Experiences Produce Character

As hard as this truth is, it holds the promise that from the experience, good character will be produced. This is something true believers very much desire, but it doesn’t come with ease.

1 Peter 4:14 says we are to count it a blessing when we suffer for being a Christian.

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

1 Peter 4:14

Problems to be Solved

This is difficult to accept, isn’t it? However, consider how much better our mental wellbeing could be if we viewed life’s challenges as problems to be solved, overcome, and conquered, rather than as potential tragedies that could harm our lives.

The Apostle Paul encourages us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to rejoice. When? Always.

Also to pray. When? Only when things get tough or when you have a time when you are feeling particularly close to God? No. Continually.

When do we give thanks to God? Only in the good times, when we are prospering? No. We give thanks in all circumstances; in both the flowers and thorns of life.

God desires us to have a lifestyle that is open, honest, and passionately dependent on Him; and a good dose of thankfulness to the Lord goes a long way.

Our days can be filled with tribulations, pain and anguish due to the curse of sin inflicted upon this world and in each one of our lives.

Aristotle’s Purpose

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, taught that the ultimate purpose of human life is the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. Is this true? If we live our lives based on this philosophy, we may become very self-centered and self-gratifying.

Additionally, during hardships, we might feel very discouraged if we believe life is only fulfilling when we are happy. Our tendency is to do anything we can to avoid discomfort and drown it with worldly pleasures. We may drink from the well of the world’s pleasures for a time, but they will inevitably dry up.

The hymn writer Emma Frances Bevan conveyed it best,

“I tried the broken cistern (of the world) ah! But how the waters failed; even as I stooped to drink, they fled and mocked me as I wailed. Now none but Christ can satisfy.”

Emma Frances Bevan

Claim Peace

The believer in Christ is beckoned to claim the peace only He can give us (John 16:32), and to take comfort in knowing that their Savior and Lord has overcome the world. The thought there holds the promise that we too can conquer all of life’s overwhelming challenges, founded upon our dependence in His strength, and not our own.

“Rejoicing and thankful in all circumstances…” is that even possible?

Life can throw some pretty hard balls at us… the loss of a loved one, financial burdens, marriage issues, persecution of our faith, a rebellious child, loneliness, illness…

The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable, but when we see them in the wrong light: when we see them in the hand of God who dispenses them; when we know it is our loving Father who abases and distresses us, our afflictions will lose their bitterness and become a matter of consolation. – Brother Lawrence

Changing Our Way of Thinking

Changing our way of thinking toward life’s struggles is a huge hurtle to jump. Especially if you have a personality that bends toward pessimistic and critical thinking; being thankful in all circumstances will be a real challenge. Giving our thought life over to the Lord is a much needed first step.

The next step is excising our faith to begin seeing God as bigger and in control, rather than allowing our circumstances to rule us and enslave our thinking. God dispenses our circumstances as His plan and purposes for us, with our best interests in mind.

Basic principles in life such as, you can’t get strong without exercise, you can’t be healthy without dietary discipline and personal development cannot happen in a comfort zone, are all reflective truths to our spiritual walk with the Lord. There are times when God, out of His love for us, forces us to stretch and mature, in order to build up our spiritual health and muscle.

Prayer Life and Communion With God

Another step forward is re-thinking our prayer life and communion with God. Changing our approach. Stop going to Him with a defeated attitude; in faith, build our prayers upon the foundation of His promises and victory.

In the Bible, David is a good example of this, his faith in God had won the battle against Goliath before he even confronted him, because God was his strength and victor. He stood upon promises God established with Israel hundreds of years before. Victory was a no-brainer to David.

Some scriptures to be mindful of as we pray are:

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Matthew 11:28,29 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2 Corinthians 12:9,10 “… “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD…”

Claim these pledges as your own, as a child of the Living God!

Be Thankful

The last consideration I’ll mention is to be mindful of always giving God thanks. Make a conscious effort to tell the Lord what you are thankful for. Thank Him for who He is, His salvation by grace, the love He has shown the world and revealed to you personally.

Acknowledge your limitations and lack of understanding in why He is allowing situations to occur in your life that are hard. Recognize, by faith, that He says all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Give thanks for that promise upon which you are standing. Thank Him for those in your life who have been helpful, showing kindness.

Perhaps there has been an opportunity to be an example or a witness for Christ during a hard time; thank Him for opening that door. As we begin to open our minds to consider all the goodness God has shown, the trickle of appreciation we begin with will gradually become a flood of many thanks giving’s.

Being intentionally thankful can pull us out of the trap of pessimism and put us on the level where we undoubtingly know we are in God’s will; always rejoicing, never ceasing to pray and thankfully praising Him in everything this weak and wicked world has to throw at us.

This is the therapy to our souls that no therapist on earth can provide.

We Can Thank Him!

In conclusion:

When we reach the conquered side of the trial we have endured, hand in hand with the Lord, we can continue to thank him, especially for the fruit of the labor; that we are better equipped to serve Him as a result.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

What a wonderful way to conclude a challenging period in our lives. Reflecting on a situation, we recognize the painful prick of the thorn of trial, yet we also see the beauty of the flower that grows from that cautionary stem. How can we be discouraged or downhearted when we know we have been empowered by the Lord for greater service, to be used by Him for His honor and glory?

O Lord, your ways are above our ways. Thank-you for all things!

Have you experienced “thankful thorns”? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.