God commands us to give thanks. But what if you don’t feel thankful? Step out in faith, and obey God’s Word in spite of your feelings. Choose to thank him for small things, and your wayward emotions will eventually catch up!
Sometimes you just have to tell your emotions to get with it!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I will be the first to say that emotions are the most unruly, disobedient passions. Our feelings always try to demand center stage, as though they run the show, trying to dictate everything! Well, you know what? They don’t. Emotions are only a part of who we are; they’re not everything. And so, I often tell my feelings to get in line; get with the program, Joni! God gives that program in Ephesians 5:20, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Right there, God commands us to give thanks. Yes, using Scripture is a great way to talk your emotions down from the ledge.
But what if you still don’t feel thankful? Well, years ago, after my spinal injury, I felt that way. Facing a life of total paralysis, I was anything but thankful. But I also knew that if my emotions ran the show, if they got their way, I’d be on a path to total despair. Utter depression. Somehow, someway I had to get my feelings in line. And that’s when a friend showed me 2 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Now I could not imagine doing that, because I did not feel thankful. But my friend wisely said, “Joni, God’s not asking you to feel thankful; just give thanks in whatever way you can.”
I resisted at first. I guess you could say my feelings resisted. But then I decided to choose. I got my will involved; I started to exercise faith, and actually do what God’s Word was commanding me to do: give thanks. Then and there, I started mouthing gratitude to God for small things. And to make sure my emotions got the picture, I thanked God out loud. I’d say, “Lord, I thank you that I am able to feed myself.” I would sit up in the morning, look in the mirror, and I’d say, “Lord, I thank you that I am not confined to bed today, but that I can sit up in this chair.” And there were other things: “Lord, thank you that I have help; my sister is helping me; I give you thanks for that.”
Basically, I was believing God and his Word. If he commanded it? If Ephesians 5 told me to do it? I would do it. I knew my only salvation, my only way out of depression, was to invite God to take control. “Lord, you shape my emotions. You command my feelings. You run the show.” And you will never believe it, but over time, it was like God rewarded my faith with the emotion of thankfulness. Faith first, then come trustful feelings. And once my feelings got in line, once they yielded to faith, then I was able to thank God for greater things, more things, bigger things, and that’s when life changed. And it really changed when I was able to not only thank God, but even rejoice in suffering. It took time to get there, but Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Friend, God rewards your faith. And often that reward comes in the form of new emotions, righteous passions, and hope-filled feelings.
So if you do not feel grateful for your hardships, side-step your feelings and step out in faith. Act on God’s Word. Give thanks for small things, and your wayward emotions will eventually catch up. It’s your good word today as we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. Always it’s faith first, and then your feelings will catch up.
© Joni and Friends