Walking With Christ

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (16)Rejoice always, (17)pray without ceasing, (18)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(ESV)

I love that the vast majority of the bible is written to follow a logical pattern. This is THE line for anyone who wants to know God’s will in your life. The problem with how most people read these verses is that they treat God’s will like a one time event that they need to pray for. No, His will isn’t an event, it’s a way of life. If we treat it like an event then once the event has passed we are left in a state of confusion where we are once more hunting for the will of God.

To rejoice is feel or show joy or delight. Like love, it is also a choice. Choose to be joyful. There is a huge difference between joy and happiness and that is where most people get lost. To rejoice always is to constantly choose joy.

Pray without ceasing seems a bit over the top. We do have to do other things. But what is prayer? Prayer is nothing more than a line of communication with God. He wants us to keep that line open constantly. Turn every thought to Him. Most parents will understand this part because they don’t really want to take control of the lives of their children but they do want to have open communications on a regular basis.

Give thanks in all circumstances. Read that slowly. Some circumstances are just plain lousy. We don’t give thanks FOR them. We give thanks IN them. In all things God is working them out to their good.

When we choose to stay in a state of consistent rejoicing, prayer, and thanks giving, God’s will becomes more than just an event that passes, but rather, it becomes a lifestyle. This means that our lives become the will of God.