Find Joy, Talk to God, Give Thanks

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

• Rejoice always - The Christian who remains in sadness and depression really breaks a commandment: in some direction or other he mistrusts God--His power, providence, forgiveness. That is not to say there isn't a time for sadness and or grief. But it does mean that a Christian understands joy, knows that it isn't a feeling because of a current situation, but a state of being because we are children of God. We rejoice always because Jesus is with us and forgives us unconditionally. 

• Pray continually - We are not expected to spend 24/7 assuming a prayer posture, but to experience prayer as a state of mind, a constant consideration as we go through our day. Prayer is a path to a relationship with Jesus that grows and is nurtured each day. When I dedicate my day to God and what He wants for me and from me each day - it is as if I am praying continually.

• Give thanks in all circumstances - Now this is a tall order. How do we give thanks in all circumstances? How do we praise and offer thanksgiving when all around us is in shambles? I know that God grows me and my faith when I face challenges and even catastrophes. I also know that when I am feeling low and am in the midst of a pity party, I only need to acknowledge my many blessings and my eyes and heart are open to new possibilities.

I would love to hear how you practice/apply these verses in your life. How do you rejoice always; Pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances? Feel free to comment below, and for those of you who are not inclined to do this, please send me an email and I can read your thoughts and communicate further if you like.

Six Words to Live By

Do you live in the land of 'if only'? Do you dream of a better life... if only? If only the scale tipped in my favor, if only my bank account bulged, if only love loomed on the horizon, if only popularity described my social life.... you get the idea. You may find yourself in this spot, dreaming of the day when life is perfect.

Often when calling up the phrase, "One day at a time," I find myself trapped in an earthly struggle. I recognize things don't change overnight, but if I tackle them knowing each day I work on my problems, I am one day closer to solving them.

Habits aren't changed because I want them changed. New habits aren't adopted by embracing them in the moment. But they are begun that day and will continue to improve, change, or disappear, over time, if I stay focused. One-day-at-a-time is an effective way to adopt new habits and exchange bad ones for good ones.

The truth is, power exists in the if only. These words can propel us to give a new idea a try. Dreaming of our wished-for state might prompt us to take the next right step in a new direction.

Years ago, my heart burned to read the Bible, to dig into God's Word and make sense of what I read, but this huge undertaking challenged this novice who never read God's Word before. Then I stumbled upon 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. These short and simple verses started me on the path to my love of Scripture, and my daily desire to read and journal what God is teaching me.

Now, when my weaknesses surface and I am at a loss for how to change them, I recall these 6 words: Rejoice Always, Pray Continually, Give Thanks. And one day at a time, I am made new.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Giving Thanks

Psalm 107

Psalm 107 is 43 verses long.  In 7 of those verses, God's people 'cry out to the Lord in their trouble' (vs. 8, 13, 19 and 28).  And each time they cry out, God saves them from their distress.

Were the Israelites slow learners?  Certainly after the fourth or fifth time of being in trouble, they would figure out that there has got to be a better way.....ah, but all too often, we modern day Christians do just the same thing.  We cry out to the Lord in our trouble, he rescues us, we dust ourselves off, get back up, and continue to run our own lives, forgetting to give God the glory.

What recommendations does the Psalmist have to correct this cycle?  A simple yet profound act:  give thanks to the Lord.

• Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (v. 1)
• Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind (vs. 8, 16, 21, 31).  Yes, four times.  Give thanks to the Lord.

How do we give thanks?  Through prayers, song, serving, confessing and asking for the strength to turn aside from sin and sorrow.

Have you ever tried this?  Have you shared your thankful heart with a friend?  With a coworker?  With a loved one?  Verse 2 says "let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story."  We all have a story to tell, and when we have a bad experience, we are more likely to pass on our dissatisfaction.  The way to stop that cycle is to Give Thanks in All Circumstances! (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Thanksgiving is around the corner.  We are all getting ready to head to family or friends and enjoy the most caloric, tradition-laden meal of the year.  Why not include a time of thanksgiving that focuses on all that God has done for us?  

Here's a song to help you get started on giving thanks as you re-read Psalm 107.  The psalm ends with this verse, and I would urge you to join the psalmist in pondering God's love:

Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

 Watch a video here. 

What If?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205%3A16-18&version=NIV;ESV

 

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.              ESV

 

What if your baby’s diaper pail is full and as you begin pulling the plastic bag out, it rips and… well you get the picture. Would you be rejoicing or giving thanks?

 

What if your husband, who is a farmer, is out on the tractor when a nearby driver is texting and runs off the road killing him making you a young widow and leaving your three young children without a father?

 

What if you are pregnant with your first child when the doctor tells you that your baby is still born?

 

What if, at age fifty-five, after you’ve given your heart and soul to your career, your employer informs you that you’re being let go?

 

What if your best friend from high school dies from cancer at age 66?

 

What if… life happens? Are you able to rejoice; to give thanks; to pray?

 

We’re not robots are we? We have feelings when things like this happen. We get angry. We feel defeated, depressed. We feel worthless. We want to lash out at someone, but who? God is pretty convenient sometimes.

 

How can we obey these verses? Paul wrote that this is God’s will for us, but how do we do it? In fact, it can be just as difficult to obey these verses when everything is going well as it is when life sucks.

 

Yes, life can be very painful at times. But just as Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers that God loved them; that the power of the Holy Spirit was working in them; that death is not the end, but the ultimate victory is ours through Christ - he is reminding us of these same truths as well.

 

What if when life happens you not only feel the pain or the joy of the moment, but you put yourself in the hands of God? What if you pray?