“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
One of the hardest lessons to live by is to be thankful and joyful in all circumstances. After all, as Paul writes, it is the will of those who belong to Christ Jesus. Yet being thankful and joyful in all circumstances doesn’t necessarily mean we should accept all things or be content with injustice or hardships. Being thankful and joyful means that you put your trust in Jesus and not in our own ability to change circumstances for the good. If we know that our circumstances are in the hands of Almighty God, then that gives us cause and reason to rejoice. It gives us cause to be thankful knowing that God is control. It takes away the pressure that we put on ourselves to ‘make things better’ and allows Jesus to be in the driver’s seat. That is why we should never stop praying. By persistently praying we are continually inviting Jesus into our circumstances and by doing our filled with joy and hope.
As we lay down our needs and hopes at the feet of Jesus, may His joy fill our hearts, not just with a temporary happiness but a sustained joy that doesn’t waver in hardships and is not swayed by circumstance. It is a joy that resounds in victory and comes from the very throne room of Heaven. May your hope and thanksgiving be found in Jesus.
I know I should put my burden and sufferings in the hands of God,but at the same time I find myself still trying to ‘make things better’ in my own ability.
We all do at times my friend, but that should never stop us from trusting Him. Trust is knowing that in actual fact, it is only God who can make things better!