” Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.– 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Here we find a tremendous trilogy of truth, given in staccato like style–” Rejoice evermore, Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks…” This is divinely designed to get our attention and to be easy to remember. And it is for good reason. These three things– rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving not only makes life better, they make life different. They transform us. They might not change our circumstances, but they will change us.
Although certain conditions are not conducive to the practice of these precepts, we are to do them nevertheless, as we see by the words “evermore”, “without ceasing”, and “In everything”. Regardless of what is going on in your life these things are to be put into practice–regardless of how you feel. In the doing of them God will cause “all things” to “work together for good” ( Rom. 8:28). If you want to defeat depression, beat the blues, and alter your attitude, put these into practice and it can happen.
Not only should we do this because of the benefits, but also and more so because “this is the will God in Christ Jesus concerning you”. That makes this of utmost importance. Pleasing Him is the path to being pleased in life. This is what prompted Paul to say, “..we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more”. ( 1 Thess. 4:1). If you are convinced that you can’t be happy unless something changes you will never be happy– happiness will forever elude you. Happiness is found in doing God’s will, not getting our way. That means we will have to live with conditions that are not ideal, fair, or comfortable, and yet we are required to “Rejoice in the Lord always” ( Phil. 4:4). That would be impossible unless we “” Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks”. That is “the will of God”. And obeying God empowers us to do what seems impossible. In that sense it can be said that happiness is a choice. That doesn’t mean we are happy with our situation, but that we are happy in it. Others have made that choice, and if you are a child of God in the will of God you will do the same.- HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
