Proper Perspective…

Written by Bill…

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, NKJV).

Rejoice... pray... give thanks... always, ceaselessly, in everything.

What is the will of God for my life? Early in my Christian walk I wondered about that, and the question took many forms: does God want me to be a missionary, enter the ministry, move, get another job, make more money, make less money, have another child, and on and on?

Then a dear Christian friend, older in the Lord than I was, recited this verse aloud in a gathering my wife and I were part of, emphasizing the last word, YOU. It was as if a light went off in my head. I had my answer.

Not that the verse above was the entire answer, but it was a significant part, for sure. And what I first heard with great relief, was followed by quite a few serious questions.

Rejoice always? Rejoice when bad things happen? Rejoice when loss occurs? Rejoice when I am afraid, or in pain, or seriously ill? How was that even possible? 

Praise God for serious questions, because He has marvelous answers if we seek them in faith, with an open mind, a teachable spirit, and with our whole heart. What I learned over time is that joy or rejoicing is not the same as to be happy or glad. It's something much, much deeper, something not dependent on momentary circumstances, something founded on an overriding goodness that obliterates all the darkness and evil of this life. The exhortation to “rejoice always” is a synonym for “have joy IN THE LORD”, Who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever”, Whose “promises are true”,  “Who has been given all authority and power”, “Who loves us with an everlasting love”, and Who “gave His life that we may live.”.

Because He is unchanging, and irrevocably FOR us, our temporal circumstances, no matter how horrendous, are “but a light affliction” that “cannot be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.” So in that relationship with Him through faith, we can know joy... always; joy that is the tranquil sea upon which we float.

Then comes “pray without ceasing”. Even back then, I knew this could not mean bow my head and shut my eyes and pray verbally, never stopping. But what did it mean? I believe the answer is as marvelous as the one about joy. You see, because Jesus broke down the wall of separation between God and man by paying the price of our iniquity on the Cross, and TAKING away our sin, we now have bold, confident access to the very Throne of Heaven. We do not need ritual, sacrifice, ceremony, a priestly representative, or a Holy appointment. We can commune with the living Lord of the Universe as often as we desire, and Paul is encouraging us to desire that communion always. It is not just praying, it is living with an underlying attitude of prayer in everything we do, think and say. It is having the Lord always in our thoughts, living our lives with the awareness of His presence and care. It is walking with Him in the “cool of the evening”, when we “rise up and lay down”, when we “go in and come out.” 

Finally, His will for us includes  “in EVERYTHING gives thanks.” Really? I used to think that it meant I could remember to be thankful IN everything because I could be grateful that I knew the Lord Jesus, but I didn't have to be thankful FOR everything. Then I read Ephesians 5:20, which says exactly that: “FOR everything give thanks.” Bottom line, the will of God for me (and for you), is to be thankful both IN and FOR everything. Now, how is THAT possible?

Here's the thing: when we understand that “God works all things together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purposes”, then we may rest assured that ALL things that happen in our lives our are under His providential control... and working toward our good and His glory.

We are being transformed daily into the image of His Son, so NOTHING that happens to us is meaningless, or without purpose. We are not at the whim of fate, or luck, or chance. We are His children whom He went to unimaginable lengths to adopt into His family. He loves us, and is preparing us for an eternity of life in His presence and among all the saints. So, in view of all these wonderful truths, what Paul writes above makes perfect sense. May His Spirit bring this to our mind's, especially in those times of trial and testing.