1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
We can all agree that some verses are easier to memorize than to practice. And 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 certainly qualifies as one of these passages of Scripture. It says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
We gladly follow these commands when things are going well, but when the life’s circumstances take a negative turn, we suddenly begin to question the truth of "in everything give thanks."
To understand the importance of being grateful in every circumstance, we must know the answers to two questions: Why are we to give thanks in everything? And how are we to do so? We say our thanks to God not necessarily because we feel grateful, but because it is a command. And the Lord gave the decree because He knew that expressing gratitude keeps us continually aware of His presence. God allows painful situations into our life for a reason, and our gratitude motivates us to look for that purpose. In addition, a grateful attitude makes us aware of our dependence upon God and consequently builds our trust in Him.
The Holy Spirit gives Christians the strength for impossible tasks. He enables each of us to become the person the Lord wants us to be and to do the work He wants done. Even if we do not have one single logical reason to say thank you, the Spirit of God empowers us to express gratitude. When we understand the why and the how, God provides the means for us to declare thanks in everything. That is a victory worth the battle.
Amen. I very often give thanks to God for the bad things that are happening by itemizing the "bad things" specifically: "Thank you God that my car has just died in the middle of the road, thank you that the man behind me is madder than a hornet, thank you that this is the 10th time this has happened in as many days, thank you that.... " yada yada. At least it makes me laugh in the middle of the mess. Very often the mess turns around into a blessing (such as happened in the above scenario years ago), but sometimes, the mess just keeps getting worse (such as is happening in the present scenarios). It is comforting to remember that "this is the will of God for me in Christ Jesus" -- but, it doesn't solve the problem and if he continues not to address the problem to me, I am still stuck in limbo waiting for the traffic to move. La...La...La Last night I found myself praying for a modern day Elihu to come and get God to come down out of the clouds, provide a little thunder and lightning, shake the earth a bit, and just tell me what he wants me to do. Oh, how beautiful the sound of thunder can be on occasion. Thanks for the good words. That truly is a victory worth the battle. One thing I can usually give thanks for is that God's goodness and mercy, his grace and his truth, his righteousness and his sovereign majesty, his ever present help in time of need and his power over all the power of the enemy. In giving thanks for his unchanging attributes, I find a little of the strength to endure the moments of my ever changing circumstances. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete