Stay On The Straight Path

I have heard it said a lot that we need to thank God for our trials, but I don't know about you, but when I'm going through a hard time and something bad is happening, I have a really hard time thanking God for it. But then, I realized that He is not asking us to thank Him FOR the circumstance but we are to give thanks IN the circumstance. Instead of complaining during those times of trial, just begin thanking God that He is in it with us and is working all things for our good.

In I Thessalonians 5:18 it says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”. IN everything give thanks....not FOR everything give thanks. We are to give thanks in every circumstance.

James 1:2-3 says to Count it all joy when we face trials, knowing that the testing of our faith brings perseverance. I do not believe this Scripture is telling us to be happy about our circumstance, but it is merely encouraging us to keep a good attitude about it while in the trial; an attitude that even if we don’t see the purpose of the trial, God will use that trial to build into us what we need for life. This is a promise of Scripture that goes beyond what we currently see.

I remember a guy at church said that he couldn't understand why people should be thanking God for their trials because God had shown him two paths: one was a straight path and the other a squiggly path representing those times when a person falls by the wayside for whatever reason and then gets back on the path. Off and on, off and on constantly. Now just picturing this path, it is obvious that it will take us much longer to get where we need to be, by constantly going off and on the path constantly.

Do you think it is possible to always stay on the straight path without ever being side tracked? I do.

Just look at what Proverbs 4:11 says, “I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths”. (NIV)

Just picture for a minute that path that God has set you on. Paul refers to it as “running the race”. And he tells us to lay aside every weight that so easily besets us. (Hebrews 12:1-2) No path is going to be perfect. There are going to be obstacles along the way, but the key to staying on the path is how we handle those obstacles. Are we going to let them knock us off the path by our murmuring and complaining  or are we going to stay on that path by acknowledging God in it with us and continue to keep our eyes on Him, trusting Him to help us make it over that obstacle without ever leaving the path?

Proverbs 3:6 tells us to Acknowledge Him and He will direct our path. He'll make our path straight, but only if we acknowledge Him in it with us, which is actually initiating our faith in Him.

I honestly believe that during this journey of life set forth by God, He will get us to where He wants us, and that anytime we begin to set our eyes upon the circumstance instead of keeping them on God and the finish line that is ahead, we make the situation a lot harder for us and it causes us to remain in that trial a lot longer than God intended.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If You Complain, You Remain?” Remember the Children of Israel? They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and all they did was murmur and complain. I think it is very important how we react to our wilderness moments. I think our reaction will determine how long we remain there.

When you focus on your problems, it cuts off the revelation, the faith and the victory. Possessing a grateful heart and expressing it daily will affect how you see things. You begin seeing and believing something before it actually is manifested. Your understanding is no longer darkened. Did you know that Romans 1:20-21 states that unthankfulness darkens the mind? So you see, something as simple as saying, "Thank You" can bring light to a situation that seemed hopeless. Keep your eyes on the Lord and always cultivate a lifestyle of thanksgiving and He will keep you on the straight path!

Connie Schmoll