-Strength for Today- "Our battles are won or lost in our minds." -1 Thessalonians 5:18

    Life’s battles are “won or lost in our minds”. Not in some:

·       New-age manifesto, which stresses “prophecy or political conspiracy”

·       Which denies the “reality of the One True God and His purpose” or

·       Even a “power of positive thinking way”,

Because in a biblical way as we trust God can we have victory. His Word says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

    I must be honest, because when I’m faced with an onslaught of life’s circumstances, sometimes it's the "everything" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can have an “attitude of gratitude,”

·       About most things,

·       At most of the time.

    But in “everything”? What about when you find yourself locked out of societies privileges, which leaves you:

·       Discouraged,

·       Disillusioned and

·       Stressed.

And those people you thought were you friends, are the first to greet you with cruelty, and life’s unfairness.

    Yes, these are some of the “everything’s” that can be hard to show “gratitude”.  But God's Word never changes to fit our circumstances. In Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not…” Hebrews 13:8 says, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.” Therefore, His Truth rises above our circumstance.

    Listen, God’s Word doesn’t say give thanks “for somethings,” but “in everything,” because He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the hard times.

     It’s here in the midst of our struggles that:

·       We're gaining strength.

·       We're gaining perseverance, and

   We're being reminded that true joy is never based on

·       How we feel or

·       The presence of our outside situations.

     His Word reminds us that, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he who is in the world” – 1 John 4:4. Therefore, we're to understand that:

·       God's ways are bigger,

·       His thoughts are higher, and

     We can be assured that He holds us in His hands. So I say to you, no matter what you might be facing, the good news is this:

·       He woke you up this morning, and

·       You're still here,

1.    Living and

2.    Breathing,

   Therefore, may our every breath bring honor to Him, in “everything.” So stay strong, and be assured that, “our battles aren’t our, but the LORDs.  “Because in such times as these,”

·       He is building greatness.

·       He's working things out for good.

·       He hears our prayers,

·       He sees all, and knows all.

    And He has purpose for our pain, because Only God can bring hope out of despair, and give us absolute confidence for our tomorrows!

Author: Plez Lovelady, Jr., PhD