Thankfulness and God’s Sovereignty
Whoa! Started my day with a little conviction today–ouch.
God laid it on me that I have not had a thankful, grateful heart lately! So I spent some time in the Word today looking at thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 summed up a lot of what God desires in me:
“Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NET)
The last part of that brief verse is at least as important as the first part.
When I give thanks, I embrace what God wants for my life. I recognize He places in my life both the people I naturally love and the ones that challenge me. I acknowledge Him as the One who orders my life.
So, during great times (great from my self-centered perspective), as well as when things feel out of control, whether I like my circumstances, or find them unpleasant or confusing, I thank Him for it all. My thanks acknowledges His control and relinquishes mine.
Today with thankfulness I embrace His sovereignty over my life.
Beth Barron
Beth Barron and her husband have worked cross-culturally for decades, first in the Middle East and now in the U.S. She teaches English to refugees and uses her writing skills to advocate for them. Beth enjoys writing, biking, vegetable gardening and connecting heart to heart with other women. She is involved in her church's External Focus ministry. She and her husband have three adult children, two daughters-in-love and three grandsons. Beth graduated from Rice University in Houston, attended Dallas Theological Seminary and is committed to life-long learning.
