As you told God all the things you’re grateful for this Thanksgiving, was your present trial on that list? It is in times of hardship that we undergo significant transformation within ourselves for the better. And that is the greatest blessing of all — to be conformed to the image of Christ. Romans 12:1-2.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11 NIV
The Lord called our family to share His love in a dark area of the world where few have heard of Christ and Christians are persecuted. Serving as a missionary in a country where missions is prohibited presented many challenges, as you can imagine. But Thanksgiving became a special time for missionary families to pull away from all the stress, laugh together, eat our favorite foods from home and be “family,” especially since so many of our loved ones lived thousands of miles away in other countries.
A few days before Thanksgiving one year, one woman showed up at my door angry because another missionary she didn’t like was going to be at the same gathering her family had planned to attend. “She’ll ruin it!” my friend vented, pacing the room.
The Lord led me to encourage her to lay down her opinions and ideas about that person at Jesus’ feet and ask Him for His. What does Jesus say about her? When He looks at her, what does He see?
As she surrendered what she thought and sought the Lord’s viewpoint instead, tears rolled down her cheeks. “God showed me her pain. She’s been through so much,” she said. “Oh, I can’t wait to put my arms around her and just tell her I love her, and Jesus does too!”
What a dramatic change! He transformed her bitterness to joy and anger to love.
The enemy had arranged a nasty dissension feast for Thanksgiving that year, but in those few minutes, the Lord overcame those plans with His purposes, and made it one of the most special holiday celebrations ever.
The key is surrender. When we lay down our expectations, desires, opinions, judgments, plans, and agendas to ask God for His, He makes something beautiful of what the enemy purposed for evil. Romans 8:28. Especially within us.
What have you faced so far this Thanksgiving holiday? And what are you dreading about upcoming family gatherings for Christmas? Lay down your schedule before the Lord, and let Him arrange it the way He desires. Forgive those you hold grudges against, and ask the Lord how you can be a blessing in others’ lives — a channel of love to draw those around you closer to Him and each other. Don’t waste this trial. Look for what God’s doing, and follow Him there!
For a FREE “Pray It Forward” worksheet to help you cover your family in prayer ahead of difficult situations during this holiday season, fill out the form below:
Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through a donation, or by finding gifts for those you love at Mikaela’s online bookstore, click the buttons below:
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For the deep devotional Bible studies on listening to God, following His lead and training our minds to agree with the mind of Christ, see Delight to Be a Woman of Wonder and Dare to Be a Mighty Warrior, as well as the Prayer Journals and Power Planners that accompany them, at More Than A Conqueror Books.
If you’d like a 2026 day planner specifically designed for handing your thoughts and plans to the Lord daily, and other books for all ages to help you and those you love walk as one with Christ and others, visit MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com.
Any proceeds this author receives from the sale of the deep devotional Bible studies and other MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com books mentioned in this post go to shining Christ’s light in the darkness and seeing the nations come to Him.
Thank you for your support! If you have any questions or want to help with this ministry, please contact Mikaela.
PRAYER WALL 