Have you ever experienced a day when everything seemed to go wrong? Perhaps your tire went flat in the middle of the road and then it started raining. Perhaps your paycheck didn't stretch to the end of the month, and to make matters worse, unforeseen expenses added extreme pressure. Maybe you were hit with the dreadful “C-word” diagnosis — cancer. Every day, we are hit with bad news, big or small, but some days it seems to pile up. So how can we overcome these days?
THE POWER OF A DECISION
There may not be much we can do about the circumstances thrust upon us, but we can choose how we respond to them. It is better to prepare ahead, setting goals and choosing our responses to life's obstacles, than to wish our circumstances away. Here are three decisions that will help you overcome everyday obstacles:
DECISION #1: TODAY, I WILL REJOICE ALL DAY.
Now, you may be thinking, "It all depends on what happens." Did you know you can rejoice in every circumstance? You may not rejoice for every circumstance, but when Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown in jail, they prayed and sang praises. Their joy was in God's presence, and they knew His promise.
...I am with you always, to the very end of the age. — Matthew 28:20
It was because of this promise and God’s faithfulness they knew they could rejoice in the Lord always.
DECISION #2: TODAY, I WILL PRAY ALL DAY.
If you think this means you must get on your knees and stay there from morning to night, that's probably not very practical. Think about it this way: If you spent all day with a friend, you might say, "We talked all day!" In the same way, you can talk and listen to your friend, Jesus, throughout the day.
To never stop praying means to develop your friendship with Jesus to the point where it is natural for you to go through the entire day talking and listening to Him.
DECISION #3: TODAY, I WILL BE THANKFUL ALL DAY.
Just as you can rejoice in every circumstance, you can be thankful in every circumstance. Our thankfulness is not based on our conditions. Our thankfulness is based on our relationship with God. We can be thankful through everything because He is seated above our circumstances and we are seated in Him! The Word of God teaches us we can be thankful and content with what we have because He is with us (Hebrews 13:5).
Our consistency in joy, prayer, and thanksgiving is rooted in God, and nothing can separate us from Him. Therefore, we can experience them all day, any day, and every day in spite of what might be going on in our lives. By His grace we can,
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this
is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
by guest author, Marc Limbaugh*
*Marc is Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship in Carrollton, GA where he has served for the past 23 years. His messages can be heard here.