Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Always, Continually, All


“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

Recently, I talked with a student who was very excited about the things happening in his life.  A day later, I learned of several students struggling with some difficult issues.  And in the past week, I have talked with people who lives are just moving along with nothing exceptional happening, good or bad. 

This is life, isn’t it?  There are some really good days where everything is lining up and going our way.  There are some horribly awful days where our worlds come crashing down on us.  And then there are the days, which are the most common, where life is rather ordinary and mundane.  

So when I read this passage, I find it to be one of the most challenging commands in Scripture.  “Always,” “continually,” and “all” don’t leave much room for exceptions, in fact, none.   Regardless of how life is going, we are to be joyful, prayerful and thankful.  Think about that for a moment.

It’s relatively easy to be joyful and thankful when life is going great.  And it is fairly easy to find ourselves in a praying mood when things are going badly, but always?  Continually?  No matter what?  That is a real challenge because our attitudes toward life are generally governed by our circumstances.  When things are going great, we’re joyful and thankful. When things are going badly, we may pray, but without joy or thanks, only with pleading desperation.  And when things are ordinary and mundane, we can find it a challenge to feel or do any of these.  

So if we desire to obey these commands, what do we do?  I think we must realize our relationship with the Lord is not based on our particular circumstances.  Though our lives are full of ups and downs, and many stretches of smooth, if sometimes mundane, times, God never changes. He is always the same. He is always providing and always comforting. He is always teaching and always guiding.  There is never a point in our lives where the Lord is not active and involved.  

With this perspective, it is easier to grasp then how we can be joyful always and be thankful regardless of the circumstances—because God is always at work for our good and is always providing for us.  And it is easier to understand then why we need to be in a continuous attitude of prayer—because we are always dependent on the Lord’s provision.  

Today, regardless how your life is going, be joyful because God is good and faithful; pray continually because your dependence on the Lord never ends; and give thanks to Him no matter how things are going, because He is able to bring good out of any circumstance.

© Jim Musser 2014  

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