1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 is simple, yet powerful: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” These three positive triggers help us to see God’s will in the circumstances we find ourselves in. A joyful heart is optimistic. It sees the bright side of things rather than the negative.
I remember a wintry morning driving into our church property a day before a world renowned speaker was going to be with us. I noticed the portico of the church had collapsed under the weight of the snow. I chuckled and said, “Satan, this is too obvious!”
When I climbed over the debris and into the church the facilities committee was there. “What are we going to do?” they asked. “Clean it up,” I replied. “We’ll never get it done before the services,” they pined. “Well, let’s pray about it,” I suggested.
I prayed as I went into my office, then called a contractor friend. When I explained our problem he said he’d be right over. His equipment was free that day so he got a crew and cleaned it up that day, and even built a façade to give it a new look. My joyful chuckle helped me see the problem objectively. I turned to God in prayer, who was already preparing the answer, and thanked Him in that circumstance.
God’s will was to teach us a lesson in trust, encourage us with the answer, and inspire a greater expectation for God’s blessing on our services. Isn’t that practical?
