1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We recently shelled out several hundred dollars for plumbing repairs due to some tree roots that trespassed into our pipes. Digging into the wallet for something like this can be sobering and downright depressing. Later that same day, I turned on the news and listened to a story for a few minutes about families that are fleeing war torn areas and seeking refuge in the European region. It struck me like a ton of bricks how trivial my challenges are compared to what many face each day. Here you have families, a mother and father, literally running from their native lands, kids in tow, seeking a place where they can live without the constant threat of being killed. And at the same time, I am fretting having to dish out a few bucks to repair my plumbing…my indoor plumbing in my nice, air conditioned, safe and secure home. You can imagine how much of a goon I felt like at that time. I am thankful for moments like these when I am reminded by God to do an inventory of how truly blessed this life can be. It is so easy to focus on all that is “wrong” and miss everything that is “right”. In fact if we truly inventoried the good and bad, I am confident the good would far outweigh the bad. The text above in Thessalonians calls us to give thanks to God in all circumstances…in both good times and bad times, we are to thank God for it all. Why? Because the good and the bad in this life is temporary…it’s not going to last forever. The struggles we face today will one day disappear entirely…and they will be replaced with full and complete perfection. That is what we can give thanks for in all circumstances. When we focus on the good that is to come, when we focus on our time to come when we will be with the Lord in heaven, the difficulties of this life don’t seem so difficult…and what once bummed us out, may not seem so depressing after all. So when life throws us plumbing problems, may we give thanks to God that we have the funds to repair those problems, that we have skilled people to make the repairs, and that we even have a home to live in at all. We are a blessed people…blessed by a loving God both in this life and in the life to come. May we focus on that each day! To God alone be the glory!