Did you ever notice that Paul was
the eternal optimist? The man worked hard, almost died several times, was
stoned, shipwrecked and in the sea a day and night, constantly in danger,
sleepless, hungry and thirsty, and exposed to both hot and cold elements (2
Corinthians 11:22-28).
Yet, he told us to rejoice
always; to pray without ceasing; not to quench the Spirit;
and to give thanks in everything: for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19).
Does this mean to give thanks,
because everything that happens to us is God's will for us; or that giving
thanks is God's will for us? Either way, it is worth paying attention to this
verse.
If giving thanks is God's will,
then when we praise the Lord, we are in God's will; and when we do not praise the
Lord, we are out of God's will for us.
If Paul is saying that we should
give thanks in good times and in adversity, because all of these circumstances
are the will God for us, then when we do not praise Him, we are missing out on
part of the miracle, which God has for us through this trial.
Recently, our air-conditioning
was out for two days during the hottest November on record in southwest
Florida. I was dripping sweat, irritable and claustrophobic - because the heat
imprisoned me and I could not escape it.
This caused me to remember my
childhood and first pregnancy; when we had no air-conditioning at all, because
of our lack of income. My mom used a wet wash cloth on her neck, so I did too.
It helped this time too.
As I prayed during this inconvenience,
God brought Paul's exhortation to my mind. I realized that I was not to grumble
or to allow my flesh to get the better of me; and I was to walk in the Spirit
and praise God, even in the suffocating heat.
Easier said than done; but I have
been learning to live through my spirit and not my flesh and this was just
another opportunity to practice. I truly was thankful that the circumstances
were not even more dreadful.
Prayer:
Father God, I really wanted Your
permission during this trial to be grouchy and to feel sorry for myself. I wanted
to complain and gain sympathy from family and friends. However, I knew this would
only make others miserable too, and I would not grow in my spirit with negative
behavior or remain in Your will without praising.
I know that You were building
character in me and preparing me for future events in my life; therefore, I
chose to change my focus and to praise You with each drop of perspiration. I was
even able to thank You that it cools down in southwest Florida on November evenings,
and that I still had electricity and could run the fans. Thank You for living
through this trial with me.
Thought for the Day:
Regardless of the circumstances,
we learn to do all things without grumbling and complaining (Philippians
2:12-16), and to walk in the Spirit each moment of the day (Galatians 5:15-25).
Many thanks to Matt Milligan for the use of his photo.
