In Everything Give Thanks

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It is so reasonable to be thankful when things are easy, and everything is smooth sailing in our lives and when all of are needs are being met. But during times of crisis and bad experiences, it is challenging to praise God and thank him. The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, not just when things are going well.

There was a time in my life when I felt so bad and had a lot of self pity. I had just had repairs done on my car and was still paying off the balance on a credit card when the woman who donated the car to me two years prior, came back to the city I was living in and recalled it from me. Frustrated and upset, I still managed to thank God for the two years I was able to use the car and I filled the tank and had the car washed before returning it back to her. The following day, while walking to work, my heart was gripped with self-pity and anger with the whole situation. That night, I cried hard to the Lord, releasing all of my anger and frustration. In the midst of my tears, the Holy Spirit reminded me that even in bad times, I should still give thanks to Him. He reminded me that He is in control of everything and all I need to do is trust Him. The following morning as I walked to work, instead of wallowing in self-pity, I started singing praises to the Lord. The lyrics of the song, "How Can I Keep From Singing Your Praise?" by Chris Tomlin, rang in my head. After some time had passed, I received a phone call one evening from the woman who recalled my car saying that the Lord wanted her to buy a new car and she wanted to return my car to me!

This was a quick answer from God! I could not believe it! When we let go and let God be in control, He can change our circumstances. Just put your hope in Him.

We may not have an answer from Him right away, but rest assured that God is in control in every situation and He knows what He is doing in our lives.

We have to trust God to work out the details of what we are going through. This is one of the biggest challenges of our walk with Christ. We fool ourselves into believing we have control over our lives, but difficulties are less stressful when we relinquish our efforts and acknowledge that God is in control.

You may be in a challenging circumstance beyond your control. Do not let the enemy rob the joy in your heart and rule your heart with complaints and self-pity. Start thanking God in every situation, knowing that He cares for you.