Thankfulness Frees Us to Enjoy God's Peace

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:5–6

Do you ever struggle with depression? Depression started haunting me when I was eight years old. By the age of seven, I had moved eight times to five different states. My dad was a career Navy man, and the constant displacement took a toll on my mental health.

When I was 20, I became a Christ follower, but I still struggled with bouts of depression. At 34, after the birth of my fourth child, I was so depressed that suicidal ideation disrupted many attempts to sleep. Then one day, my husband gave me a day off by taking all the kids to his mom’s.

Home Alone! It may be a child’s nightmare, but busy mamas shout “Hallelujah!” More than death, I longed to enjoy living again.

That day was April 14, 1996. In desperation, I picked up my dusty Bible. Not sure what to read, I turned to Proverbs 14 (the Proverb for the day). In verse 25, God revealed to me that the root of my depression was anxiety. Lifelong anxiety. Depression is nebulous; anxiety is concrete.

I knew what I was worried about. I wrote a list of everything that plagued my mind. The list was long. Most of my troubles sounded trite, like dirty dishes. But little things add up. And there were some biggies too, like, “Am I a good mom?” I was drowning in a pool filled with tears of worry. The troubled water in my heart burst into words as I cried out loud to God.

Prayer, like a steam valve on a pressure cooker, released the anxiety from my soul. But I still didn’t have God’s peace. The next step was the hardest.

Thank God for all these irritations and insecurities? How?!

I started with the dishes. “Thank you, Lord, that we have food. Thank you for providing soap, water, and a dishwasher. Thank you for giving me hands and the strength to load and unload that machine.” After working through each listed anxiety with a thankful heart, my depression dissipated. Not forever, but long enough to help me understand I need to give thanks even for troublesome things.

The world is full of hardship. A lack of gratitude mars the lives of many people. Gratitude grows in a believer’s life as the fruit of the Holy Spirit transforms us. God wants His children to learn to be thankful in all things. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Questions for Reflection:

1. What worries do you need to give God today?

2. In what way can you be thankful for each one?