Ryan James
It seems that one of the main issues currently affecting the church is the tendency to only turn to God in times of need. While it is good to seek God’s help when we are suffering, it is not right to only turn to him during difficult times. We should also seek him during the good times.
It seems that one of the main issues currently affecting the church is the tendency to only turn to God in times of need. While it is good to seek God’s help when we are suffering, it is not right to only turn to him during difficult times. We should also seek him during the good times. Often, we only seem to seek Jesus when we are going through tough patches in life. In the past few years, my life has been everything I desired. I was able to buy a house, marry the woman of my dreams, and succeed in my dream job. During this time of prosperity, I often forgot to thank the Lord for all that he had provided me. I seemed to have forgotten that all these blessings came from him. It’s as if we forget that all blessings come from the Lord and fail to give him the praise and honor he deserves.
Recently, I lost both my dream job and the job that followed due to unforeseen circumstances. It took this current hardship for me to remember to turn back to the Lord. It’s easy to only seek God in times of trouble and rely on verses like Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Again, it is good to do this, and we should, as the Lord is there for us in times of need.
However, we should also remember to praise God during the good times. What steps can we take to ensure that we honor God in the good times? One of the most effective ways is to have a prayer schedule. This can be a short 5-minute prayer in the morning when you wake up or at night before you go to bed (although I would encourage longer to develop a deep prayer life). During this time, express your praises to God and thank him for what he is doing in your life. Another great way is to keep a journal with you (your phone counts too). When you think of a praise, write it down in the journal and bring them to the Lord in prayer later. These techniques are not exclusive to the good times as they are also effective in hard times.
As you go through your days, take note of all the good that God has blessed you with and thank him for it. Remember that everything we have is a gift from the Lord, and we need to thank him for all that he has done in our lives.
- John 13:31-35 –A New Commandment
- John 13:18-30 – Betrayal
- Two Views on Divorce
The Bible’s teaching on marriage begins in Gen 2:23-24. This passage establishes that marriage is created by God, that it is between one man and one… Read more: Two Views on Divorce - John 13:1-17 –Do as I Have DoneJohn 13:1-17 –Do as I Have Done
- Part 3-Gender in Genesis: The Downfall of the Family of Adam and Eve
Author’s Note: This article will cover all mentions of God’s and humans’ genders in Genesis 4, inspecting the Hebrew language of each verse. New to… Read more: Part 3-Gender in Genesis: The Downfall of the Family of Adam and Eve
Leave a Reply