“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18).

There are some seasons of life where the hard and difficult come from so many angles, and are so severe, that others would not even believe you if you told them.  Nor would they understand.

In those moments where it comes in like a flood, it’s tempting to name and list in your mind the troubles that surround you–freaky amount of family and friends dying, health issues, financial issues, relationship problems and so much more.

But it’s a trap.

DON’T STEP IN IT!!

As soon as we start focusing on them, then those problems are what we begin to see.  And God gets eclipsed.  His blessings obscured.  And his goodness seems to be hiding.

When Paul was in prison it was awful.  He thought he might even die.  But what he talked about was how the gospel was moving forward even where he was at (Php 1).  And because he focused so much on the gospel, I think his pain was eclipsed by the gospel.

We choose by our thoughts what to see.

See the sun, and the things of earth will be less.

See the problems of life, and we’ll forget that there is even such a thing as the sun.

Fight the hunger pangs that desire the food in the trap.

In fact, we would do well to run the other way.

Self-pity isn’t the only meal available.

Count your blessings.

For He is our feast.