Rejoice always, pray
without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
It is easy to understand the call to pray without ceasing in
this world we live. But, how do we rejoice always and give thanks in all
circumstances? With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and the tension of current
events surrounding us, for some it may be difficult to express our gratitude. Could
it be that Paul just missed this one? Could it be that he meant we should
rejoice when things are good and give thanks when things go our way? Or could
it be that he meant exactly what he wrote – that it is God’s will in every
circumstance to express joy and gratitude?
It might be easy to dismiss these bullet point commands
given at the close of a letter. But, these aren’t just pleasantries offered to
fill space and make us feel warm and fuzzy. On the contrary, this call to
radical gratitude is expressed across the pages of Scripture:
- Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34)
- This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
Paul especially emphasizes this in
his letters to churches:
- Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7)
- And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
- Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)
- Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20)
Christian, through the Gospel, we have been both equipped
for and called to this radical gratitude and rejoicing.
It might be easy to dismiss Paul’s closing words to the Thessalonians as too
simple or in need of qualification based on the current events in which we find
ourselves. After all it is another passage of Scripture that tells us there is
a time for everything; a time to mourn and a time to cry (Ecclesiastes 3). But
there is danger in letting our circumstances define our joy and gratitude. To not exercise this radical gratitude for all that God has done is to determine that our losses are greater than our victories, or that the blessings of the Gospel are just not enough for us. To do anything other than express our radical gratitude exposes our belief that we deserve more than God has provided.
Paul’s words don’t compete with Solomon’s wisdom. Rather
they inform it. Paul is not saying we should never grieve, but instead as we
grieve we cling to our great hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For the Christian, according
to Paul this man who suffered much for the cause of Christ, there will be times
to cry and mourn, but the time for rejoicing and gratitude never ceases.
As Thanksgiving Day comes and goes and the parades go past;
as the cheers of stadiums go silent and feasts finish; as life gets back to normal
and the sun shines the following day – regardless of the current news cycle, no matter
what circumstances surround us, Christian, you have great reason to be
grateful. Because the Gospel will always be true, our victory will always be
much greater than any loss. So…
Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
