This Thanksgiving week, as a sports fan I’m thankful the NFL playoff races are so tight…college basketball is starting up…and all of my Fantasy teams are ready for a playoff run. In life, I’m thankful for my wonderful wife, sweet daughter, a loving family, and an amazing job.
Although our go-to list of what we’re thankful for is easy to come up with, today I want to unpack how we can also be thankful for life’s disappointments. We may not ordinarily add them to our list, but when we dig a little deeper we can discover reasons to include them.
Sports provide us with perfect examples of how bad news leads to gratefulness. Drew Brees, for instance, had a major shoulder injury earlier in his career and the San Diego Chargers moved on from him. Brees then signed with the New Orleans Saints where he’s won a Super Bowl and broken NFL quarterback records.
In the NBA, David Robinson’s foot and back injuries caused the San Antonio Spurs to have only 20 wins during the 1996-97 season, which ultimately led to winning the draft lottery. They used the first overall pick in 1997 on Tim Duncan and the Spurs ended up winning five NBA Championships.
A Peyton Manning neck injury led the Indianapolis Colts to transition away from their franchise quarterback, and as he got healthy, signed with the Denver Broncos. By teaming up with a great defense, Manning was able to win another Super Bowl.
In each of these scenarios, major injuries were only temporary and ultimately led to Championship wins. Nobody ever wants to get injured, but think how thankful they are for having injuries that resulted in victory.
We, too, can look back at “injuries” in our own lives and see how God used them for our good. As a result, our hearts can be filled with deep thanksgiving. Many of those situations wouldn’t have been how we designed them, but aren’t we glad they turned out the way they did?
Instead of thanking God only for the obvious blessings in life, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Sometimes the “injuries” we face can even have a positive impact on someone else’s life. In sports, Trent Green’s knee injury made way for some guy named Kurt Warner to get his chance…and, of course, win a Super Bowl.
Drew Bledsoe went down in New England, so they relied on their backup Tom Brady to take over…and you know what happened after that.
Of all the injuries in life that have led to victory, the ones I’m most thankful for took place on the cross. At least seven wounds led to Jesus’ death, but thankfully He ended up winning and we now join Him in eternal victory.
As followers of Jesus, let’s be encouraged to thank God for the injuries in life that He’s used to change us or those around us. Even if we’re dealing with a challenging “injury” today, I hope we can thank God in advance for how He’s going to use it for good.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV) encourages us with these words: “In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the way so many disappointments have led to great victory in my life. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on my behalf. I’m grateful for Your love and faithfulness through each and every injury I’ve faced. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
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What “injuries” in your own life are you thankful for?
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What “injuries” do you have a tough time being thankful for?
