The Scriptures tell us: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This three-fold statement of some of the things that are the will of God for our lives, on the surface, seem an almost impossibility to keep. However, the more we grow closer to Jesus the more we begin to see that not only can we obey rejoicing, praying, and being thankful at all times and in all things, but this state of being should actually be the norm for the Christian.
Let’s look at each of these three commands of God:
Rejoice always
(Hebrews 12:2) says: “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Imagine being placed on a wooden cross and knowing that your death is imminent. Yet, I believe, that Jesus looked down the corridor of time and knew that by dying on the cross He would bring salvation to millions. This understanding gave Him so much joy that it gave Him the motivation to go to Calvary and experience immense joy. It is a spiritual law that when we obey God, no matter what the situation, we can experience the joy of the Lord. I like what Dwight L. Moody shared: “The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him.”1 As we obey Jesus and walk in His will for our lives joy is sure to follow. D. A. Carson gives us something to ponder when he remarked: “Those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it.”2 And just what is this treasure – it’s Jesus!
Pray without ceasing
As a new Christian I had a hard time understanding how I could pray without ceasing when I was at work and needed to concentrate on my job. However, as I grew in my faith, I began to realize that this command was more of being in a state of continual dependence upon and communion with the Father. I like what the website GotQuestions.org says about unceasing prayer: “Paul is not referring to non-stop talking, but rather an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender that we carry with us all the time. Every waking moment is to be lived in an awareness that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions.”3 E. M. Bounds give us something else to ponder that I believe will help us get into a continuous state of prayer: “Prayer honors God, acknowledges His being, exalts His power, adores His providence, secures His aid.”4
In everything give thanks
When we learn and experience the reality that God has our back all the time, it should become our natural response to give Him thanks in all situations. William Law provides great insight here: “To be always in a thankful state of heart before God is not to be considered a high plane of spirituality but rather the normal attitude of one who believes that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to his purpose.’”5 Not only that but developing a thankful heart will probably add years to your life, peace in your heart, and glorify God in the process – and what could be better than that!
So you see this three-fold command from the Lord is not only possible to obey but is the pathway to a joyous, peaceful, and abundant life!
1 97 Quotes About Joy | ChristianQuotes.info
2 97 Quotes About Joy | ChristianQuotes.info
3 What does it mean to pray without ceasing? | GotQuestions.org