Psalm 43:5 — Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Christianity can sometimes seem to be impossible. “Love your enemies”, “Bless them that curse you”, “Rejoice always” … how can we do these things? Then there’s “In everything give thanks:” …
How do you give thanks when a beloved child dies, when a precious relationship fails, when a seemingly safe job evaporates? How do you give thanks when you live in a society where poverty and oppression are the norm? How do you give thanks in the midst of natural disaster — earthquake, flood and storm? Thanksgiving is surely impossible but, as I wrote yesterday “In everything give thanks” leaves no “wiggle room”.
I have no magic answer.
I can only offer something I am working on. Long ago I discovered that love is not a feeling, or something that happens to me. It is something I do. I believe thanksgiving is the same. The texts don’t say “feel thankful”, or even “be filled with thankfulness” but “give thanks”. It’s an action, something I can decide to do.
If you’re going through tough times, and these thoughts are irritating … I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot easier to say than to do.
David knew about tough times. In psalms 42 and 43 he three times asks himself the question “Why art though cast down, O my soul?” That very question is the first step. Emotions need to be governed by intelligence. Next, we should see that the first response to circumstances need to be questioned … sometimes there is a positive to go with the negatives …
Lastly, we should seize hold of the truth that “God is our God”. That still leaves us with the problem of understanding why our God allows terrible things to happen.
I have no answer to that one that I am sure will satisfy you if you are in the depths right now. I have tried to hold on to the idea that God is all good, all knowing and all powerful and that He loves me. I have tried to cling to the truth that He makes all things work together for my good. I have tried to trust that He has plans to give me a hope and a future. On the strength of that foundation I have decided to try to give thanks. Always.