Readings for today: 1 Thessalonians 5, Psalms 17
Following Christ is not easy but it is fairly simple. I love how the Apostle Paul puts it at the end of his first letter to the Christians living in Thessalonica. Christians living under persecution. Christians living under more pressure and stress and anxiety than we can possibly know. What’s his advice? “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CSB) Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. This is God’s will for you.
Rejoice always. I’ve had several conversations recently where the discussion began with how challenging life can be but then quickly turned to how good God is. This is why we rejoice because even in the midst of all the challenges we face. Figuring out marriage. Raising kids. Working jobs. Managing friendship drama. Finding balance and rest in life. Overcoming fears and failures setbacks and struggles. All of these things are real and all of these things threaten to rob us of our joy unless we keep our eyes fixed on Christ. We rejoice because God has revealed Himself fully in the Person of Jesus. And who has God revealed Himself to be? A God of grace and mercy and love and kindness and truth and righteousness and holiness and justice and peace. Our God is faithful and true. He is good. He never leaves us or forsakes us or abandons us. This is why we rejoice.
Pray constantly. God wants to hear our prayers. He wants to hear every concern, great or small. No concern is too big for God to handle. No concern is too small for God to take notice. There is plenty of God to go around. He is not limited. He is not finite. There is no end to His resources so we do not need to worry about there being less of God available to others if we bring God our requests. Furthermore, God wants to be in constant contact. He wants to be in constant conversation. God wants to know it all and hear it all so He can respond to it all. This is God’s great desire.
Give thanks in everything. God has blessed us with so much, especially if one lives in America. It is so easy to fall for the devil’s lies and play the comparison game. It is so easy to look at what our neighbor or co-worker or colleague may have and start to feel jealous or envious. But God has given us more than enough. He has given us all we need. He has poured out blessing upon blessing, grace upon grace, and sometimes we just need to pause and consider all God has done for us.
Imagine how your life would be different if you endeavored to engage these three practices on a daily basis? Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything. I can tell you from personal experience that engaging just these three spiritual disciplines will set a person free. I know I am free. It is why I bounce out of bed every morning. It is why I get so excited for all I get to do. It’s why I love what I do and who I get to do it with so much. I have learned the secret to God’s will for my life. Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything.
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Thessalonians 1-3, Psalms 18