The Good, The bad, and The Ugly? Yep.

Some people are under the mistaken impression that after accepting Christ as Savior and committing to live  according to Biblical principles, life then becomes free of difficulties, struggles, and various issues that negatively impact the course and quality of one’s life. That is far from true. The Bible is clear that the righteous are not exempt from the trials and tribulations that befall humankind (John 16:33, Psalms 34:19). However, there is a proviso of sorts for those who are children of the most high God. In the aforementioned verses, we are reminded to not worry about anything we face because since Jesus has overcome EVERYTHING, we will also. God doesn’t leave us hanging, He delivers us from our struggles, when we surrender and allow Him to. That is why I Thessalonians 5:18 says that we are to give thanks to God even in the midst of the worst situations we are faced with. According to the calendar this is the time of year during which people are expressing gratitude for the many “blessings” they have; family, friends, employment, health, a home etc. But what if we are unemployed, or homeless, or experiencing a significant loss? Are we still able to express gratitude to God? Can we, in this season of thanksgiving still praise and worship God despite the hard, dark, or difficult situations we are facing? I’m praying that the answer is a resounding yes. Because Romans 8:28 promises that in the end absolutely everything will ultimately work out for our good. Hold onto that like a lifeline. Cry, scream at the top of your lungs if you need to. But maintain a posture of gratitude to God, even in the midst of the good, the bad, and the ugly that befalls you. It’s all temporary anyway, even the good.