Thoughts on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, praying without ceasing, in everything gives thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Wow. Those are some challenging commands to follow.  Does it really mean to rejoice always? To pray without ceasing? To give thanks in everything?  These were (and still are) some of my initial thoughts about this passage in 1 Thessalonians 5.  I mean, how can I truly apply this to my life? It it even possible? 

No. It is not possible. I cannot rejoice always, praying without cease, and give thanks in everything without Jesus Christ.  Humanly, it is not possible.  But with God all things are possible.  

Sure, it's easy to thank God when things are going my way, when life is good.  But what about when things are not good from my limited view point? When things don't do my way? Do I still believe that God has planned it for good? That everything is a gift from Him?  So many times I let my circumstances control my attitude instead of letting Jesus Christ rule over all.  

In order to be thankful at all times I must realize that God works all things out for good.  I must look for the good in the "bad".  Until I realize that all is a gift from God, I will complain when life doesn't go my way.  All I have is a gift from Him and without His grace I will fail to see these gifts.  That's why I must pray without ceasing.  I must live in constant dependance on Him because if I'm not dependent on Him, I will be dependent on my flesh.   And my flesh doesn't want to thank anyone for anything because it depends on itself.   Without Jesus Christ's grace, I won't even want to look for the good.

So I must die to my flesh and purpose to look for the gifts of God in each and every moment of life.   

This is hard.  It doesn't come naturally. But with God all things are possible.  I won't be perfect.  But I must continue, by God's grace, to create the habit of looking for God's gifts.  To practice, practice, practice.  To ask God to open my eyes that I may see His wonderful works.  

This is where the joy comes in.  The Bible says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11b)  Joy is found in God.  And God is evident everywhere - if I'm looking for Him.   I must choose to acknowledge His presence and His working in every detail of every part of my life.  It's when I thank God for His gifts that I can live in His presence.  "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name." (Psalm 100:4)  Joy only comes with thanksgiving.  I cannot rejoice always unless I am thankful, unless I am continually looking for the gifts God bestows on me.  

So, "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks." Creating these habits will allow me to live life to its fullest -  "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  There's no better place to be than in His will.  

May God give me grace to live these verses out in my life!

The key to happiness is.........right here!

My family learned a lesson in thankfulness yesterday. There are some things we never think twice about and have very little appreciation for them...well, until they’re missing.

Since my older sister is home for spring break, we decided to hop in the car and drive to a nearby park to take a walk by the river. It was a beautiful spring day–60 degrees, sunny, breezy–you couldn’t ask for prettier weather. Since we were all together, we decided to leave all our cell phones behind and forget about technology for an hour. We had a lovely walk. Being together as a family and enjoying God’s creation at the same time was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. As we pulled into the garage though, the beauty and peace of the afternoon vanished. We couldn’t find any house keys. My mom thought my dad had them, my dad thought my older sister had them, my sisters thought I had them, and we all assumed my mom would have at least one. But alas, there was no key to be found. We walked over to the neighbor’s house (they have a spare), but they weren’t home. Since we didn’t have any cell phones, we couldn’t even call someone for help. So, we got back in the car, drove to my dad’s office, and spent several hours calling friends on the office phone until someone was able to help us find a key. By that point, our quick excursion had turned into a four-hour long adventure. All because we forgot a little piece of carved metal.

We’re all prone to forget how much we appreciate something until it’s gone. Good health, family, friends–unless something happens and we no longer have them, we rarely forget to say "Thank you" to God for them. Sometimes, the only time we think about these blessings is to complain that they’re not as nice as we want them to be! Instead of rushing to the next thing, we should rejoice in the present and thank God for everything He’s done for us. There are so many we should be thankful for, yet we often fall into the trap of seeing only the annoyances in life. When we can be praising God for the sun, we’re complaining that it’s too hot or bright. Maybe we should invest in a special pair of thanks-tinted sunglasses that will allow us to see things from God’s perspective. There is never a time when you can’t be thankful for at least one thing. When we’re surrounded by a whole universe of God’s creation–what He called good–why don’t we remember to thank Him for His gifts?

Happy Thanksgiving!

What, then, could now sustain them but the spirit of God, and His grace?  Ought not the children of their fathers rightly to say:  Our fathers were Englishmen who came over the great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity....Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good, and His mercies enndure forever.  Yea, let them that have been redeemed of the Lord, show how He hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.  When they wandered forth into the desert-wilderness, out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them.  Let them confess before the Lord His loving kindness, and His wonderful works before the sons of men!

(from Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford)