“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
There is no Scripture that I know of where God says it is okay to grumble, pour or complain. I sure would like to find one, but it’s not there (I’m still looking!) There are, however, plenty of verses where God says to be thankful.
When I’m facing difficult circumstances, that verse at the top of this page can be a very annoying! If I consider the alternatives to being thankful, though, I can readily see God’s point. When I pout instead of being joyful, grumble instead of praying, and complain instead of giving thanks, I am in effect telling God that He is mishandling my life and I don’t like it. At that point, I have ceased to put my faith in my sovereign Lord, and have chosen to put my faith in my circumstances. In other words, I am telling God and myself, that if my circumstances change, then and only then can I be happy. Until then, I have nothing to be thankful for. And that, according to Paul, is when I step out of God’s will.
Embracing the Lord’s will for my life means accepting the exact set of circumstances He has handed me, one day at a time. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to accept them one moment at a time! Today, I have a choice to make. Will I grumble and complain? Will I stomp and lament and wonder why He isn’t changing things?
(I do that, sometimes.)
It takes an act of my will and the grace of the Holy Spirit to pull myself back into line. I have to remind myself that God is for me; He loves me; He knows what is best for me and He is able to take everything that affects me and work it out for His pleasure and my good.
Our children are watching our responses as we walk through difficulties. They want to know if we really believe the things we teach them. They need to see us lean into Jesus in those times.
Will we drink the cup He has placed before us? Many years ago the Lord asked me this question. As Jesus prayed in the Garden …
“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”~Luke 22:42
I think it’s important to see here that Jesus did ask for the cup to be removed! We are not offending God when we ask Him to change our circumstances. But when we pray and He doesn’t change them; when the fires rage or the waters rise … it’s there we find the question remains: Will I drink this cup? Will I do it with grace?
How about you? What cup is the Lord asking you to drink? Let’s pray for one another.
Oh Sally, this is beautiful! I have been thinking a lot lately about some trials in my life that God did not remove when I asked him to. I became very frustrated and could not understand why my prayers were “unanswered,” but now I can look back and see how he used them as refining tools in my life. To be honest, I kind of shudder when I think about what I’d be like if not for those hard things. They have become such a gift to me…Like Ann Voskamp says, all is grace…
I’ve found this to be so true in my own life as well. God has used those painful and seemingly unbearable “circumstances” to change my heart and mind as well as to draw me closer to Himself. Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom so beautifully, Sally.
Thanks Sally! So true – please pray for my Mom, she is in the hospital Day 12 now…. Much love and Thank you! xoxo
I needed this reminder today, thank you!
Thanks so much! I needed to be reminded of this.
Just yesterday, just yesterday(!), I was praying about a situation, trusting it in God’s hands, and He said ‘Yes!’ I was thankful, happy…for all of a few minutes, and then I started to analyze it, break it down, and basically diminish it until the blessing of the whole thing became quite “less than” what it had been or was supposed to be! I have been “giving thanks” for 2 years now on a regular basis; yet, here I am still struggling to choose gratitude over griping! Here I am still saying to Jesus, in essence, “It’s not enough” – or even worse, “You are not enough!” I do not want to be this person! I am His daughter; He is my Father! I long to laugh more, to smile more, to live fully in the joy He lavishes on us – more! I want to break this chain of ungratefulness and pessimism more than almost anything right now! This is a path that leads only to “cancer of the soul”, and I want off it NOW! I pray I will take the cup God has placed in my hands, be it small, large, chipped, or painted lovely and drink deep in thankfulness for it all! I pray the same for you Sally; you encourage me today (and many other days as well!).
Ooooo….wonderful thoughts and reminder, Sally. Ouch. No complaining today, eh?!
I needed this reminder as we face day number 9 of 100+ temperatures, have an ac that has not been able to keep up, and a drought devastating our income. This morning I was complaining to God about it. Thank you for this reminder. I am going to make a conscious effort to praise the Lord today and thank him for his perfect plan as I do what needs to be done today.
Thank you Sally I really needed to hear this as I am going throug many difficulty trials in my life right now. I send many prayers to God and have not seen many answers. I have come to realize that God is teaching me to be happy in what I seem to think are some of the worse situations.
Your just confirming what I believe God has already been telling me:)
Love Tina
Well, we moved to MT. Left the Army after 21 years. Living in a two bedroom apartment with three boys. Building a modest house. Attending a church that isn’t our “norm” but is full of dear souls. I’m struggling. I’m missing friends. I’m missing the comfort and familiarity of our church back “home”. I was praying and asking God to give me peace. The verse he gave me was: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Col 3:15 Then I came to your blog.
“I’m getting it Lord!” Thank you Sweetest Sally.
I just received an email with this article attached. It was inspiring in just the same manner your post was. Written by a pastor there in Co. Sprgs., after having had to evacuate first from his own home, then again from his in-law’s home. He shares his heart of looking beyond just the fires of the canyon, but to the deeper implications. “When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2
Great reminder that God never promised an easy life for his followers. Thanks!
Hi Sally. Thanks for the post. I can always use reminders of *why* I shouldn’t complain and grumble.
I am commenting for another reason though. I went to a conference of yours this past year and have read a few of your books and your blogs ofcourse. Now our family is doing 24 Family Ways and I just wanted to tell you thank you!!! We are really enjoying it and it’s such a blessing to hear the kids memorizing scripture, which is a habit that I fall out of with them. The discussions are great and they are not dry in the least. Our 7 and 6 year old boys interact with the text and do not get bored at all! A feat for boys!! My 2 yr old daughter memorized Matthew 22:37-38!! So, again, thank you for putting together such fabulous material for a family devotional time. It’s going down as one of our favorites, for sure. So many of us our blessed bc you guys worked hard to share what worked for you.
Ouch very convicting for me today- Thanks Sally for your encouragement and wisdom.
I soooo needed to read this this morning. It actually brought tears to my eyes (and inspired my post today
It is so easy to over look the small things in our life that are actually ‘keeping it moving along’ and just get stuck in a ‘will this ever end’ mindset. Trials are so good for teaching, but so hard while you are in the midst of them. I don’t normally ‘promote’ my blog in comments (because that’s not my intent when I comment), but I did link to this post this morning on my blog, so I will leave the link. Thank you again for this….much needed right now 
http://indulgentaromas.blogspot.com/2012/07/is-this-tunnel-ever-going-to-end.html
Thank you so much for this post today. God used it to minister to my soul. We moved for a job 4 months ago & on Monday, my hubby walked in to find out his position was being eliminated immediately. God has used the verses above every day this week to show me what He wants my response to be. It’s been fun to watch where & when He uses these. I’m so thankful He’s got this!
What a beautiful reminder! Thank you!
Megan @ wwwsunshinethroughthewindows.blogspot.com
Thank you, Sally.
Jesus at Gethsemane and then on the cross always brings me up short. He drank it all for US…what right do we have not to drink in faith and joy His cup for us.
After all, the “drinking Christ” dwells within and will drink the cup through us, if we let Him…always the big IF!
For meditations on this:
http://www.abranchinthevine.com/lenten-meditation-a-word-of-abandonment/
Today’s sermon was on not complaining…hmmm…reminders, reminders to be thankful! Ahhhh, change my heart Lord.
Thank you for sharing this post! It is exactly what I needed to hear & reflect on in the season I am in!