By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Who do you share good news that you receive with first? A friend? Your parents? Your spouse? Or do you celebrate it with God? Maybe I should rather ask: Do you remember to thank God when you receive good news?

In times of anxiety, grief or trouble, it is easy to pray to God - even non-believers call out to God for help during desperate moments. However, we must remember that God desires to be acknowledged in our good times, just as much as He wants to help us during the hard seasons. In Ephesians 5:20 we read, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Gratitude begins with our attitudes. Every person on earth has at least one thing to be grateful for. The problem is that we sometimes get so caught up in our struggles that it becomes the only thing we think off or speak about and we miss everything else.

Even during the biggest crisis in our lives, we can and should still thank God. Paul reminds us that if we do it, we demonstrate our faith in God, knowing that He is working behind the scenes to establish the breakthrough we need. In Philippians 4: 6-7 we read: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

What are you thankful for today? Your health? Your family? Your job? Your ability to hear and see? Have you thanked God for these things?

When we start to thank God daily for at least one thing, we will soon discover many others to be grateful for. And maybe the next time we receive good news or a breakthrough, we will remember that it is a gift from God and thank Him first. God bless.

Father God, thank you for so many good things I have received from You. Please help me to live with gratitude. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

• Do you have a testimony of what God has done in your life? Or if you have something to contribute or to ask about the current theme, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.