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5 Thoughts to Help You Give Thanks When Life Stinks.

11/23/2015

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It is Thanksgiving time and yet perhaps it is hard for you to be thankful this year.  Perhaps finances are tighter than ever or cancer struck at the heart of your normally thankful spirit.  Maybe thankfulness seems to elude you this year because of  a series of smaller difficulties  that have piled up. Whatever the circumstances, the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5 that we are to give thanks in ALL things. How in the world are we supposed to do that?
Here Are 5 Ways We Can Learn to Give Thanks Even When Life Is Ugh, Annoying and Bleh…


1.      Relinquish control to God’s sovereign plan, knowing that He is never out of control. Even with the problem of sin and evil, God overrules and works all things for our good as we become more like Christ.

2.      Rest in God’s wisdom and love.  God is all-wise. He knows the end from the beginning and is always acting in love toward us, His children. We often cannot see that when in suffering, yet we can understand it when we compare parenting to God’s love.  As a parent allows a non-understanding, crying baby to undergo surgery, an immunization shot, or other pain for ultimate healing or good, so God does the same.  As the parent would not love the child if he/she stopped the pain, so God would not fully love us if He did not allow what was best. 

3.      Run to His Word. God’s Word, the Bible, contains “all things that apply to life and godliness.” We open it to find the truths we need, and we depend upon His Spirit to lead us in applying it to our situation and to our hearts personally. 

4.      Reach out to others.  In the midst of our pain, it is helpful to serve others.  Serving helps us get our focus off of our suffering.  It is an encouragement to know that we have helped others and been used by God to bring joy to them.  Even during Jesus’ suffering on the cross, He was mindful of His mother’s needs.

5.      Share your burden.  Don’t substitute fellowship with others for time with God; but if at all possible, find a close Godly friend who will faithfully listen and point you back to God’s truth when your faith begins to waiver. Confide in your church family to find healing and strength. God works through the body of Christ, the church. If you don’t have a church family, we would invite you to visit us.
For further consideration, please understand that the Bible isn’t a book that emphasizes thankfulness and then hides the fact that humans suffer. Here are some examples.  Adam and Eve suffered the murder of their son by his own brother.  Job suffered the loss of almost all he had. The faithful Christians in Revelation suffered. Hebrews 11 has a whole list of suffering saints. 
As we attempt to have this spirit of thankfulness, We are faced with the question of why God’s children suffer in the first place if an all-powerful God loves and cares for them. Though that seeming dilemma is not the point of this article, a few quick notes may lead you to further help and study.

 1.      Sin. We live in a sin-cursed world. Romans 8:22 reminds us that all Creation groans because of sin.  In addition, the consequences of our own personal sin often bring pain. The sins of others can bring heartache, too.

2.      Strangers. We are strangers in this world. Hebrews 11:13 reminds us that this world is not our home. This is not our place of rest. We can’t expect to be too comfortable here.  Heaven is our resting place.

3.      Sons. We are sons of God. Therefore God, as a loving Father, brings suffering at times to discipline us in order that it may yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” in our lives (Hebrews 12).

4.      Satan. Job 1 allows us to see that Satan and his minions are allowed by God to bring about hard times for God’s children in order to bring glory to God.  Always remember though, that God’s glory and the good of his children are eternally bound together. Our good does not suffer to bring God glory. 

5.      Selfishness. Although a derivative of #1 above, it still should be mentioned, because the selfishness of those we love (as well as those we don’t even know) can cause great pain.
Again if you feel that we can be of help to you are someone you know, please get in touch with us or stop in for a visit. We are here to point people to the Bible and the hope that is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are more articles you may be interested as well as some information about our church. We are here to help.  Also, please see our free Bible Promises Ebook offer below.

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What Works When Life Doesn't?
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Why It is Sometimes Hard to Pray
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8 Biblical Ways to Pray for France Today

11/14/2015

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You can pray through the following ideas based on Psalms 25 and Lamentations 3 for the people of France and specifically Paris.   Pray...

  • That the people of France would, as Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3, remember the true God of the Bible and have hope. Lamentations 3:21
  • That the people would be comforted in the Lord because his compassions fail not and his mercies are new every day. Lamentations 3:22-23
  • That the Lord would guide people into hope through quietness and solitude where they can reflect on their own relationship with Jesus Christ. That they will find both present and eternal hope in Him. Lamentations 3:25-33
  • That the people would not be ashamed of standing on true moral, Biblical truth and right as they continue to fight this battle against terrorism. That their leadership would have discernment regarding what is truly evil and what is truly good. Psalms. 25:2
  • That their enemies would not triumph over them in bringing about more evil deeds, in defeating their courage or their trust in the one true God.  Psalms 25:2
  • That those who continue to transgress without cause, taking innocent lives would be in disarray, in conflict with one another and ultimately exposed and defeated. Psalms 25:3
  • That their leaders, law enforcement and protection forces would have wisdom and insight. That they would seek God in their efforts to destroy evil and that God would direct their paths. Psalms 25:4
  • That rather than turning against the true God of the Bible in anger or discouragement, the people of France would turn to God. That they would trust his mercy, his lovingkindness and goodness to those who follow him. Psalms 25:5
 
Take some time to read through Psalms 25 and Lamentations 3 and let these passages help guide you as you seek to pray for Paris and France as a whole. Tragedies such as this raise many deep and difficult questions about God, his love, his control and his goodness. While no human can answer all these questions, we believe the Bible has answers for the problems of evil and suffering. We would be glad to talk further with you or have you join us for a service soon. We all wrestle with these issues and we would be happy to point you to the truths we have learned in years of studying God’s word the Bible. In the meantime, take some time today to pray for France.

Contact our Pastor

Here is another article you may be interested in:

 
 How to Pray When Life is Hard

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