Give Thanks in EVERYTHING

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 In everything

 give thanks;

for this is the will of God

 in Christ Jesus

 for you.

I have heard someone say

you really don't have to give thanks

for everything

but just in everything.

They thought it might be foolish to

thank the Lord for a flat tire or an illness.

I have to respectfully and lovingly

disagree.

It seems to me,

 if you won't give thanks

for everything,

you really aren't surrendering to everything.

What if that flat tire,

is an answer to prayer for safety?

What if it is keeping you from a 13 car pile-up?

Happened to me once.

Although I'm a little slow.

I didn't realize until AFTER I blogged

what the Lord spared me from.

What if that flat tire

is what the Lord used

to show you you forgot to tie down the huge ladder

on top of your truck?

Instead of killing someone

with a loose ladder,

you  only fixed a flat, then tied your ladder down.

Happened to my friend Tim.

What if the loss of your husband's job,

is the Lord's way of giving

your husband a BETTER job?

Happened to my friend Cheri.

What if that illness is an

answer to prayer for a chance to be a testimony

and become more Christ-like?

Happened to more friends than I can list.

What if taking one child home to Heaven early,

is one of the tools the Lord uses,

to bring salvation to the other kids in the family.

Happened to more friends than I can list.

What if...

What if...

What if...

We don't know why God

causes or allows the circumstances of our lives.

We just need to trust Him.

We need to obey Him.

As we eagerly anticipate

a special day of Thanksgiving,

our hearts are looking to the Lord.

Most of us are already convicted

that we should be thankful

every day.

But, we need to go further

than showing thankfulness

every day.

We need to give thanks in

every

thing.

E V E R Y

thing.

This is the will of God,

in Christ Jesus,

for us.