Church in the Community

In All Circumstances Give Thanks

“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” Thessalonians 1 Chapter 5 v 18

Lets face it, bad thinks happen to all of us at one time or another but we as Christians must thank God not for the bad thing itself, but for His being with us during that particular crisis. If you believe that all things work together for good and the Glory of God then it follows that no matter what crisis you may be going through, things will be alright in the end, even if the final resolution is not what you particularly had in mind. It is not for us to cherry pick like oranges in a basket the circumstances in life we wish to give thanks for. It is so easy to forget that our joy, prayers and thanks should be consistent regardless of whether we have won the lottery, are struggling with a terminal illness, or have just been made redundant. Whatever the situation may be, we must try to remember that although evil does not come from God, it is the hard times that test us and help to shape our characters.

David fasted and prayed over his sick son, however when he finally died, he took a bath changed his clothes and worshipped the Lord. Paul was one of the most faithful men in the bible even when he was languishing in prison; he continued to preach the gospel.

In Philippians 1 v 22, he famously said “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know I am torn between the two…

Job was a man after Gods heart, yet he lost everything, his wealth, health, family, friends and he faced false accusations too. However, he remained patient, thankful and faithful to God. He forgave his accusers asking God to forgive them too.

We must not question God - Isaiah 56 v 8 “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” because when we are weak God is strong and this is when His name is glorified.

We must thank Him for His continued presence in our lives and trust Him to see us through. By His Grace, whatever your circumstances may be He can turn things around; fear can be transformed to courage and hopelessness to hope.

In all things give thanks …..