Wholeness and holiness
Melanie - April 7, 2009
It will come as no surprise that Beth brought the Word this past weekend in New Orleans. She also brought the funny. I mean, she was seriously funny. Which is why I love listening to her teach. I believe it was Dolly Parton as Truvy in "Steel Magnolias" who said, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion".
And if it wasn't, please feel free to correct me in the comments.
Anyway, Beth taught on I Thessalonians 5:12-24. She focused on seven aspects of "The Holiness of Wholeness", but I'm just going to share the one that really spoke to me.
I Thessalonians 5:18 says, "...give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I've always wrestled with this passage of scripture because there are a lot of circumstances that haven't made me feel like giving thanks. In fact, they've made me want to say, "WHAT THE HECK?"
Because life doesn't always go the way we think it should go.
Beth pointed out that the scripture doesn't say we should give thanks FOR the circumstances, but that we should give thanks IN them. Yes, there will be times that life is hard and complicated. Things won't make sense, but we don't have to say "Thank you God for all these things that don't make sense". We are just called to maintain a spirit of gratitude in the midst of them.
She said, "If we value what God values, then we will be grateful", and reminded us that "God is never up to something bad in our lives". So when we're in the middle of even the toughest road, we can know without a doubt that God is working all things together for good.
That's His promise.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris
Comments (4)
Thank you Melanie. There is a wholelotta stuff going on that finds it hard to be grateful but you have shed some light on a passage that I too struggled with.
Praising Him in it, through it, after it.
Love ya much, Fran
Posted on April 7, 2009 1:29 PM
Gotta go through the test, to have the testimony — but it’s true that I have never really been thankful for the test itself! I LOVE the light Beth has shared on this passage of scripture and thank you for posting it!
Posted on April 7, 2009 2:09 PM
And that is the truth we need to remember. It’s His promise. Thanks for the reminder.
Posted on April 7, 2009 6:26 PM
This past year has been one thing after another. My mom went through breast cancer, 2 months after my mom was diagnosed my dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Then a couple months later my mom’s sisters cancer came back. We got through chemo & radiation, got my younger brother off to college. Then after Christmas my parents declared bankruptcy, almost lost their house & business, and couldn’t afford to send my brother back to Baylor. 2 weeks later my aunt died, we buried her on innauguration day. At the ned of February our youth minister, my best friend’s husband, was caught having an affair with a 17 yr old student at a youth convention, my 13 year old was at the convention. And to top it all off 2 weeks ago my dad flipped his suburban, has a horrible head contusion, and a fractured c1 vertebrae. Through it all the thing that has carried me, carried us, IS giving thanks for all of the blessings and miracles we’ve seen. Finding joy in the journey, learning to dance in the rain, praising him in the storm. Thanks Big, you said it well.
Posted on April 8, 2009 12:21 PM