We all have defense mechanisms that we pull out when hard times arrive. Some are harmless and some can be destructive. Personally, I think I have a few destructive behaviors that come out in times like these. I rarely turn towards my faith in God.
So, today I had a thought. What if we thanked God during hard times? I think that if we are persistent in thanking God during hard times, then we will begin to see those hard times in a different light. If we look at Philippians 4: 4-6 we see that God calls us to "Rejoice in the Lord always..." and "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
What a concept.
Makes me think of in Romans when it talks about rejoicing in our sufferings...
ReplyDelete'...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.'