Friday, November 10, 2023
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In good times, in hard times, in all times, the Bible has everything we could need right between its covers. God gave us the very best advice and examples to live by in the gift of His word. Paul gave the Thessalonians three things to remember in striving to live a Christian life, and to help through difficult times as well. These three things we would do well to remember also, because they are good for hard times in our lives, and for everyday living as well.
Three Important Things
Rejoice Always – If you have ever been in the middle of unbearable circumstances, then you know how hard it is to rejoice always when the walls are falling down around you. And yet, this is what we are called to do. Even when it is hard, we are to rejoice. What can we rejoice about when difficult circumstances surround us? We can rejoice because we can give it to Him. He loves us and wants us to hand it over to Him because He wants to take care of it for us.
Pray Constantly – God loves it when we talk to Him. We are His children, and He wants us to be in a state of communication with Him always. It is easy to pray when something happens, but the temptation is also there to reach for a quick fix to our problems. Praying usually requires waiting and trusting. We want God to fix things fast, but God is the perfect answer to all our needs, and we always have instant access to Him. Keep your connection to Him open and talk to Him about everything as you go through your day. And when you are having to wait for an answer, keep praying.
Give Thanks in Everything – We are not called to give thanks for all things, but in all things.
There are always things that you can be thankful for. Our gratitude to God should never be conditional, but in the hard times and the good times we should be consistently thankful. He is always good and worthy of our praise. Gratitude causes us to focus on the One who has given and His provisions for our good. Gratitude rebalances the scale of our circumstances when we are in troubled times.
God is in all the circumstances of our lives – good and bad. Look for Him. Seek Him and His peace and wisdom. Be open to what you are to be learning and doing. All the circumstances of our lives happen for a reason.
To help keep an attitude of giving thanks in all circumstances:
- Find something to be thankful for every day.
- Discipline your mind to focus on what you are thankful for in difficult situations.
- Find and meditate on thankfulness in scripture.
- Don’t let an ungrateful attitude take over – stop it immediately when it pops in your head.
- Encourage and show gratitude to others around you.
When our mind is jumbled and our emotions stirred, these three simple things (not always simple to do) are easy to remember. Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything.
The last part of the verse helps us to see just how important this is. Paul says for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus… Even if we are sad, angry, hurt, or discouraged, it is His will that we rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Trials and difficult circumstances are a part of living in a broken world, but through all these things God is transforming us. This is God’s will for us because He wants us to keep our eyes on Him and not on the broken world around us. When we rejoice, pray, and give thanks, we are focused on Him. He is with us in these times, and we have the testimonies and promises of His faithfulness. We have the joy of our salvation, and no hard day or difficult circumstance can take this from us.
God is always doing something good. He never wastes anything and everything we go through is an opportunity to draw closer to Him and allow Him to reveal Himself to us even more. His glory, power, presence, and love are never more obvious to us than when we seek Him so desperately and open ourselves to Him. We can trust Him to always do the very best thing for us but we must willing surrender to His best over our desires. I encourage you to say thank you to Him for the hard things that bring your focus back to Him and your draws you closer to Him.
