1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Over the years I’ve met a lot of believers that were never joyful, their lives have been hard, disappointing, and incredibly stressful. However, I always meet people that have gone through things that have been more extreme than I’ve experienced or have seen others go through. Jesus is a good example. He’s gone through the worst of all human experiences: abandonment, abuse, rejection, and despair. And all of these were to the extreme. He’s our example, He’s our source, and He’s our joy.

According to this scripture reference, we have three heart responses that we can make in our intimate relationship with the Lord:

1. Joy is always available to us. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit. We can endure anything by the grace of God and still be joyful. We have the joy of our salvation, joy of knowing God is bigger, and joy because our sufferings on earth will grow incredibly dim in the light of eternity. Our joy is locked in and abundant. The Spirit who gives joy lives inside of us. When pain comes, we still have the joy of salvation, of eternity and of His grace.

2. Prayer is deep communication between the Father and myself, through Jesus Christ. It’s a touch of eternity right here and now. God has given us the keys of His Kingdom, and a commission, and the authority to fulfill His call. When we live in constant, close, intimate relationship with God, we will talk with the Lord about everything like talking to a close friend on a walk or over coffee. Praying all the time might seem extreme until we realize that prayer is only the sharing of our needs, thoughts, and feelings with Father God. He loves us and cares deeply for us and for our needs. Walking in the truth and growing in the reality of our relationship will make us a people that always pray about everything all the time.

3. Thanksgiving is learning to be thankful in all things and for all things. There are times when this can be very difficult. Some things hurt, are unpleasant and just plain hard, but if we’re thankful, we express our confidence that God is bigger still. No matter what we go through, God is big enough to use it for our good and to receive glory from it. Praise God for His goodness. Is God big enough to turn your sorrow to joy and take your brokenness and make you whole? Can He really forgive your sins? Yes. God is good, He is bigger than we are, more powerful than we can imagine, He did create the world and all that’s in it, and He loves you and me. What a wonderful God! Let’s live it to the full.