Victor approaches me, for he is a man on a mission. He is looking for help for the people of his tribe in Congo. He is determined, yet polite. He tells me his tribe is under attack, that four hundred homes are without roofs. This is not from a storm, but violence from other humans. Victor speaks not only of the homes destroyed by fire, but also of the killing of members of his tribe and family. What is God’s will for him?
I spoke with Ivan, a minister in Ukraine. He is excited but concerned for his family, church, and seminary as the war continues. The school is a humanitarian hub and a refuge for thousands of people evacuating their hometowns. The seminary has felt the effects of the bombing nearby. What is God’s will for him?
We hear stories of Christians’ homes and land swept away by the flooding in North Carolina and Tennessee. Or we hear of homes blown away in tornados throughout the Midwest. What is God’s will for them?
What is God’s will for us when we suffer? What is God’s will when we are blessed?
Paul, the man who hated Christians and then became one, says this:
“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–19, ESV)
In a season of suffering or in seasons of joy, what is God’s will for us? As Paul says, God’s will is for us to rejoice always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances.
Maybe your year has been a mix of joys and sorrows like mine has. I have had the privilege of welcoming three new grandchildren into the world, but I also buried my cousin and my oldest brother. Joy and sorrow come together.
It is easier to rejoice when the baby is born; it is harder when a loved one dies. It is easier to pray without ceasing when my house still stands, but it is more difficult to pray when the house burns or floats away. It is easier to give thanks when we receive and harder when we lose.
Yet, to be in God’s will in whatever the circumstances, whatever the challenges, and whatever the blessings, we rejoice, we pray, and we give thanks.
My hope for you today is that you will find the good in the storm, find the peace in the war, and find the gain in the loss. Then rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks no matter what comes your way.