Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to limit my intake of news. Mostly because it has overwhelmed me. It makes my heart heavy. It triggers my worries and fears. That’s why I’ve appreciated the efforts of many who have gone out of their way to highlight and share the good taking place. Whether it is stories of school teachers driving through their student’s neighborhoods or neighbors helping neighbors or the creative ways people are making the best of a difficult situation—all such stories remind me that there is good in the midst of the bad.

And don’t we need a bit of good news right now?

As I read or watch these stories, I’m reminded all the more how Christians have a greater reason to enjoy good news. Even more, we know the best news there is: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because we know this good news, we always have reason to rejoice. We know a joy that brings light even in the darkest times.

Perhaps that’s why Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (16-18). Many times in my Christian life I’ve wondered how it was possible to rejoice always. Even when my heart is breaking? Even in the face of loss? Even when I’m fearful? What I’ve since learned is that Paul’s not calling us to be uber-optimists or to say that something is good that clearly is not. He’s not calling us to grin and bear it and deny the pain of the suffering we experience. The truth is, the bad things that happen in life are the result of the Fall and we should lament those things for this world is not as it should be. We ought to call evil what it is.

However, in the midst of our pains and sorrows, we have a joy that acts as a steady undercurrent; it keeps us moving us forward, despite the swells of a storm-filled life. We can rejoice always because of Christ. We can rejoice because we’ve been rescued from sin and saved for eternity. We can rejoice because we know God and are known by him. We can rejoice because we are beloved by the One who rules all things, sustains all things, and determines all things. As Calvin noted: “if we consider what Christ has conferred upon us, there will be no bitterness of grief so intense as may not be alleviated, and give way to spiritual joy.”

Paul links rejoicing and prayer and thanksgiving here because there’s an interesting relationship between the three. They work together, contributing to and reinforcing the other. When we are hurt and suffering, we cry out to God in prayer, placing our burdens before him. In doing so, we find peace and joy in the mist of that pain as the Spirit encourages our hearts and we are reminded of who God is and what he has done for us. In this, prayer and rejoicing go hand in hand. And so, Paul urges us to pray without ceasing, so that our joy would be full and we can rejoice always. Then in turn we respond in thanksgiving for the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness to us. It’s really a condensed chain to what Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (vv.4-7).

Rather than fret and despair and be filled with chronic worry, we are to have “reasonableness,” a moderation of spirit. We are to bring all our concerns to the Lord in prayer, wrapped in thanksgiving. The Lord then gives us a peace that would make no sense to those outside of Christ, for it surpasses all human understanding. It’s a spiritual peace. A gospel-anchored peace. A peace rooted in our union with Christ our Savior.

I love what Spurgeon said about this relationship between rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving:

“The more praying the more rejoicing. Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul, they flow away, and in their stead streams of sacred delight pour into the heart. At the same time the more rejoicing the more praying; when the heart is in a quiet condition, and full of joy in the Lord, then also will it be sure to draw nigh unto the Lord in worship. Holy joy and prayer act and react upon each other…When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude. When we joy in God for what we have, and believingly pray to him for more, then our souls thank him both in the enjoyment of what we have, and in the prospect of what is yet to come.”

So, if you are like me and are weary of all the bad news these days, remember the good news. The very best news. The news of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for sin. And rejoice in the Lord. Bring all your needs, concerns, sorrows, and cares to him in prayer. Then respond with thanksgiving for who he is, what he has done, and in what he will yet do.

When You Need Christmas Peace

Are you feeling it yet? The Christmas rush? In just a few short weeks, we'll fill our days with more activity and events than we do the rest of the year. Attending office parties, shopping for presents, decorating the house, baking cookies, attending plays and concerts—I'm worn out just from thinking about it!

Not only are our calendars full but our expectations for the season are high. We have to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list. We can't forget a single tradition and what's more, we have to make this year's celebration better than the last. We want our kids to remember every moment, smile for every picture, and love every gift. 

In all the rushing to create the perfect Christmas for our family, we often forget the reason for the season. Rather than feeling merry, we are stressed, exhausted, and frustrated. Rather than a silent night, tensions are high and the arguments are many. Instead of peace on earth, there's anxiety and turmoil in our heart...to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home for today. 

A Mother's Peace

She meets each new day
as rays begin their streak across the morning sky.
Already weary from midnight risings
and drained from the long day before.

She starts her daily tasks
knowing they'll never be completed:
the laundry overflowing,
the dishes piled high,
the meals always needed,
the floors always spotted.

Pushing start on the coffee pot,
she hears the pitter patter of feet.
Voices raise to be heard,
questions,
expectations,
demands,
cries,
bombard her ears in rapid fire succession.

The day rushes past in a whirlwind
of tasks, duties, and responsibilities
She referees squabbles,
teaches manners,
feeds bellies,
cleans up spills,
runs errands,
instructs minds,
kisses wounds.

She lies down at night with a deep sigh
knowing tomorrow's a repeat of today.
Wondering what she accomplished
and what surprises await the next sunrise...

To read the rest of this post, visit Engaging Motherhood. 

When Suffering Doesn't End

For many of us, when we go through a trial or season of suffering, it comes to an end. After a season of unemployment, we get a new job. After a period of sickness or struggle with our health, we get better. After a hard period of conflict in our marriage, we work through it and come out stronger on the other side. 

But sometimes, for some of us, the struggle doesn't end. The suffering doesn't go away. No matter how much we pray and read the Bible, the depression looms large. The cancer resists treatment. Our child still defies Christ. We lose the house to bankruptcy.

What do we do with suffering that doesn't go away? Some in Christian circles would say that God doesn't want us to suffer, that we need to believe, claim promises, expect things to change, and do everything we can to make it happen. The problem is, when we do all those things and the suffering doesn't end, what then? For some believers, this shakes the foundation of their faith and they stumble and fall.

Don't Build on Sand

One of my kids favorite things to do at the beach is build an tower out of sand and create tunnels in and around it for water to run through. Then they wait for the tide to come back in and see what happens.  At first the water just flows in and around the construction but when the strong waves start to come in, their tower falls apart.

We all know the children's praise song, "the wise man built his house upon a rock." (You may even remember the hand motions to it!) It makes sense: don't build a house on sand for sand isn't stable. But how often do we build our faith on sand? How often do we rest in teachings, beliefs, and even emotions that shift as easily as the sand with the rising tide? 

Our faith needs to stand on something more real and solid than what we wish and desire to happen. It needs to rest on something more constant and firm than the latest fads of culture or teachings that aren't consistent with God's word. 

It needs to rest in the character of God.

Build on the Character of God

The truth is, we might never know why something has happened to us (read the book of Job, he never heard that back story we all know). We might never see an end to our suffering in sight. We might do all we know to do and still barely make it through the day.

But in the midst of the darkness, the light of truth still shines (John 1:5). We can rest in the truth of who God is and know that though we might never know why we have lost a loved one or when our pain will end or if we'll have relief to our sorrow, our God is good, sovereign, faithful, righteous, holy, merciful, and gracious. "Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth'" (Exodus 34:6).

This is what the prophet Habakkuk new and why he could say, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places" (3:17-19).

This is what David knew and why he could write "The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident" (Psalm 27:1-3).

This is what the sons of Korah knew and why they could sing "God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling" (Psalm 46:1-3).

These passages reveal a common theme. They all have an "even if" scenario. Even if there is no food, even if an army comes and attacks us, even if the mountains fall into the sea, God is our salvation. Because these authors knew God and they knew his character, whatever happened in their life, they knew they could trust him. They knew that even if the very worst thing happened, God was still God. 

There are no guarantees that life will be easy, comfortable, and pain-free. As Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our peace comes not because our life is problem free but from our unity with Christ. In fact, he doesn't promise a tear-free life. He doesn't say that if we follow him, life will be smooth sailing and all our dreams will come true. Rather, he says we will face heartache in this world. But he also calls us to look at the big picture: Christ has overcome the world. He has conquered sin and death. He has redeemed us. He is our salvation. Eternity awaits us. 

For some of us, we will live a life of suffering. We may struggle with chronic pain (as Paul did). We may never be free of sorrow or conflict or struggle. If we face that suffering while standing on sand, we will get pulled under. Instead, we need to stand on solid ground. We need to focus on who God is and what he has done. We need to know our God. We need to know his character. Then we too can say along with David, "The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" 

Finding Peace in the Chaos

I often tell people that in our family, I am Eeyore and my husband is Tigger.

There is an episode of Winnie the Pooh I watched once when my kids were little where Tigger convinced Eeyore to add a Tigger tail to his own tail so he could be more like Tigger. It didn't work out so well. When I saw it, I said, "That's me! That's my life!"

In all seriousness, my life is often quite chaotic and I feel like I am an Eeyore being dragged around by a Tigger. Life is fast faced. I juggle more plates than seems possible.  And in recent months, it has never been more so.

My husband broke his ankle right after Christmas, which required surgery, and weeks and weeks of not walking. Add to that a house on the market to sell. Homeschool. New ministry projects. Speaking engagements. The kids activities. Helping my husband get around. 

By nature, I don't like chaos. I like things slow and manageable. I like to have time to think. I need preparation before moving on to the next thing. Chaos is overwhelming to me. I want to run from it. I resist it. But God knows what I need and in his good purposes for me, he often puts me right in the middle of chaos. It is in those uncomfortable places where God does his work in us. In those places that we resist is often where we really need to be. This is where we are stretched and molded and shaped into the likeness of Christ.

In my own chaos, I have found Christ to be sufficient. That doesn't mean he takes away the chaos, though sometimes he does. More often than not though, he calls me to do more than seems humanly possible and then provides just what I need to do it. He even somehow magnifies my time. 

It is in the chaos where I see his grace at work. I see his glory on display and am humbled. But above all, he gives me peace that is beyond comprehension (Phil 4:7). Gospel peace. Peace from knowing that he rules and reigns over all things. Peace from knowing that no detail of my life is left to chance. Peace that comes from resting in the truth of who Christ is and what he has done for me. And peace because I know his love for me is complete and unwavering. 

It is also in the chaos of life where I see more clearly that life isn't about me or my comfort or my strength. It's not about how organized I am. It's not about how well I excel at spiritual disciplines or how much I believe in God's promises. It's really about God's good purposes, God's time, and God's plan. It's about him using all things for my ultimate spiritual good. It's about him stripping me of my reliance on self, my idols of comfort and control, and my well constructed plans for my life. It's about humbling me and exalting the work of Christ in my life.

Chaos is frightening for many of us. It's overwhelming. It magnifies our helplessness. So we run from it or try to manage it. But the truth is, some of us really need chaos in our life because it shows us our need for Christ. It forces us to turn to him in humble reliance upon his grace. And in the shadow of our Savior's wings, there's no safer, more peaceful place to be.

"Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him" (Psalm 62:1 NIV).