Grateful in the Midst of It All

 There is a lady named Joan we met back in Seminole. That lady loves Jesus. She is serious about her walk with the Savior and prayer. When I would ask how she was doing no matter what she was going through, she always responded, "Grateful in the midst of it all." She radiated the joy of the Lord. Even though she faced numerous trials as a single parent. 

Paul writes in [Phil 4:4] to rejoice in the Lord always. He also wrote in [I These 5:18] in everything to give thanks for this is God's will in Christ Jesus. I have to confess that I read those verses for decades, but I could not say that I lived them. I rejoiced in my circumstances when they were great, and whined when things were not going the way I hoped. I gave thanks in the good times and complained in the trying times. I knew little of rejoicing and giving thanks when life was hard. 

Paul had a hard life. He suffered more than most. How could he endure all of it with joy? How could he still find reasons to give thanks when he lost his freedom and ultimately his life? Paul lived differently than most of us. His entire life after salvation was Jesus. I am not suggesting Paul did not sin. He wrote about his own struggle with sin in Romans 7. I am saying that Jesus made all the difference for Paul on a daily basis. 

While most of us find joy and thanksgiving in external things, Paul found joy internally in his relationship with Jesus Christ. No matter what happened to him on the outside the inside reality of Jesus Christ did not change. It did not matter when they beat him. Nor when they stoned him and left him for dead. It did not matter when he went hungry. When he was cold at night with not enough clothing to keep him warm. It did not matter that he was always on the move. He faced danger in every city. None of that not mattered. Jesus mattered most to Him. 

The difference Jesus made to Paul more than compensated for all the hardships. Paul wrote that he found knowing Christ of surpassing value compared to any losses he suffered. [Phil 3:8] He devoted his life to knowing Christ and making Him known to others. He also wrote in [Phil 4:10-12] that he learned to be content in all circumstances. 

Joy, thanksgiving, and contentment are choices. We choose to find joy in the Lord. Sure life is hard and things are not always pleasant. That is why people are not happy because that is directly tied to the happenings around them. Jesus is the source of joy and He does not change. There are always things to be thankful for as a Christian. Our salvation for one. We can never give enough thanks for that. There are other things as well like having access to His word to comfort and strengthen us. 

Joan learned the secret to joy and thanksgiving and that is why she could say she was grateful in the midst of all of it. May we follow her example. May Jesus continually be the source of our joy and the reason we are most thankful.