Seasonal Discomfort

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” –I Thessalonians 5:18

Men, life can get very hard. There are always going to be struggles, trials, hurts, pain, bad circumstances and the list goes on and on but just because bad things happen doesn’t mean that some good can’t come out of it. God often uses bad situations to work his good. This is another way he shows his power to us in our lives. He will take our weaknesses and manifest himself to work through our shortcomings to show us his strength. We are nothing without the Holy Spirit's working inside of us so give credit where credit is do.

This verse tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. This doesn’t mean we’re all crazy by acting excited when something unfortunate happens. This is just another opportunity to trust God and give it over to him to work his will out in the situation. Even when it hurts to pray, thank God that he know what’s best. He wants you to trust him and praise him for his goodness and love in those moments even through the pain of it. Trust me, he knows it hurts and he hurts with you but he also is asking, “My child, will you trust me through this time in your life?”

We live in a fallen world. Bad things are going to happen. Will you stand your ground for you and your family and determine to trust God and give him praise anyway or will you be like the farmer shaking his fist in the air at the sky as the tornado tears up the ground? Remember, God sends tests our way to see if we will stay faithful to him. It’s easy to trust and praise God for his goodness when the times are good, but will you stay faithful when the storms of life come your way? Will you be the man of God who stands his ground when everybody else has turned their back on God? Look at the story of Job as he is our Biblical example of how to stay faithful to God in the midst of the pain. He had his children die, he lost his nice things, he got sick, his wife told him to curse God and die, yet he refused to turn his back on God even though he admitted he didn't understand why these bad things were happening to him and why God had allowed it. In the end, God restored double to him what was lost. Faithfulness, trust, and thankfulness even when it hurts are essential attributes to becoming a true man of God and a strong leader. Just like lifting weights in the gym, to become strong you must endure some discomfort and pain but the results are so worth it.

Stay thankful amongst the storms of life and remember, “This too shall pass.”