In Everything?...Are You Kidding?

 

In everything give thanks:
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

It was our Beverly's senior year, and she needed a physical check up because of being a cheerleader. We were new to the area in Virginia where Brian's job had transferred him so I had no idea how to find the right doctor. A very kind doctor in our church gave me a suggestion of a doctor he felt would be thorough.

Although Beverly needed a physical check up because of her cheer-leading, I thought it would be the usual once over that a lot of doctors do for athletic checks. Our new doctor surprised us. Beverly was asked to get into a hospital gown. Generally an athletic check up of any kind is the doctor listening to the heart, taking a pulse and blood pressure along with weighing the young person. I got the feeling that this was going to be an adventure.

This young doctor in his being so thorough, after checking Beverly noticed some things that concerned him. We were sent from doctor to doctor and finally were given a diagnosis and it was not a good one. Beverly had a serious condition. As a mom, I hadn't had to deal with one of my children being seriously ill.

We went to various places for physical tests. Beverly and I were weary with all of the appointments and questions. On one particular day as we were returning home from one of our appointments, Beverly looked over at me as I was driving and she noticed my sad face. I'll never forget how she reached over, pinched me on my right lower cheek and said, “Mom, in everything give thanks...” I'll never forget that moment as long as I live.

Since that time, there have been lots of “everythings” in my life. Our first thought tends to be with the negatives that can come into our lives but the verse doesn't say just that. We are sometimes remiss in being thankful for the good things of life. Overall, we are commanded to give thanks in everything because we trust in God's purposes for our lives. We are to trust in all of our situations that God is in control and knows what He is doing in our lives with every breath we breathe.

What are our everythings? I'm not saying that every thing in our lives is good. Many events are hurtful and negative in nature but everything in this verse means just that...every thing.

A few months after diagnosis when we had moved back to Texas, Beverly had critical surgery done. I remember walking along side of her as she was rolled into surgery not knowing how it would turn out. As I walked back down the hall to the surgical waiting room, I remember praying, “Is this one of those everythings where I get a pass?” I knew I didn't have a pass, that thanksgiving applied to this the same as to anything else. I quickly remembered back to that day when that daughter of mine had taught me a valuable lesson.

It's important, I think, to look at the verse before and the one after our verse because they too are very important to the whole scheme of things. Before our “everything” verse, we read:

Pray without ceasing.
5:17

After our “everything” verse, it says:

Do not quench the Spirit.
5:19

Either way, we are to wrap our “everythings” in prayer and reliance upon the Holy Spirit of God. To quench is to extinguish or smother. It's almost easy to feel we don't have to pray about our circumstances because God sees what is going on. We don't seek Holy Spirit guidance because He too knows what is going on and can act on our behalf even though we choose to ignore Him.

The good “everythings” we could list are easier for which to give thanks, but we don't tend to be a grateful people and need to be thankful all the time. On cloudy days, we can thank God for His presence and direction. On our sunny days, we can still thank Him for His presence and direction. He's good to us no matter the events of life that have come our way.

What's the expected:

1. We don't have to be thankful FOR personal disasters. We would wonder about the person who dances around cheering, “Yea, I have cancer with 2 months to live.” That isn't the reaction one would expect under those circumstances.
2. We are commanded to be thankful IN our every circumstance knowing that God is as near as the breath we breathe. That person with cancer can rejoice in the healing and hope God provides in when health issues arise.
3. Always, we should be prayerful asking the Lord what He wants us to learn in our times of “everything.”
4. Be in a state of consistent prayer including the Holy Spirit in our “everythings.”
   

It is amazing to me, and I will never get over the fact, that the God of the universe is concerned about me. He is concerned about my every concern, and is also such a wonderful part of my days of sunshine. He is truly my strength in all of my “everythings” of life.

Dear Father, I yield to your being the King of my “everythings.” I thank You for what you are going to teach me in these days. I love you. In Jesus precious name....Amen