Always, Never, All – Gratitude Part 3

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5 (Link) 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT) Paul, a quick reading of these verses sounds like three unfair commands! “Always be joyful!” But I don’t always “feel” joyful! Sometimes I feel sad, sometimes frustrated, sometimes angry, and sometimes I’m not sure how I feel at all. And if I pretend to be joyful when I don’t feel joyful, isn’t that being a hypocrite? Well, if the joy Paul is talking about is only a feeling, then of course we’ll be up and down and all over the map. But what if joy is 1) a gift from God; 2) an expression of our bottom-line faith and trust in God’s goodness; and 3) a quality of life that can be developed as we mature, as we trust God more deeply, and as we learn more and more what really matters? If these are true, then it’s not unreasonable that God desires for us to “Always be joyful!” “Never stop praying!” What kind of unreasonable demand is that? Well, if praying is kneeing down beside your bed with your eyes closed except to read the items off your prayer list, then it’s definitely unreasonable. But if prayer is living day by day and hour by hour with an awareness of God’s closeness, and with a heart that desires to share everything with our loving Father, and is eager to hear his comforting voice and sense his gentle promptings, it’s not unreasonable at all. In fact if that’s what prayer is, then “Never stop praying” is not just God’s command to us, it’s the very desire of our hearts! “Be thankful in all circumstances!” You’re kidding, right? Friends, let’s notice that Paul didn’t say “for all circumstances” but “in all circumstances”. There’s a really big difference between being thankful “for” a set of circumstances filled with pain, loss, confusion, and uncertainty, and being thankful “in” that same set of circumstances. When we are walking into the darkness with our hand in God’s hand, trusting him for the grace to endure, the strength to go through, and the outcome as yet unseen, we can still be thankful! We can be thankful with an “un-circumstantial” gratitude for his steadfast love and his unfailing faithfulness. More about that tomorrow! Prayer: Father, “Always joyful, always praying, and always thankful is the desire of our hearts”. We love you, we trust you, and we move forward in confident faith in your steadfast love and unfailing faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name.