iThought (August)
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)
As Lutherans we pride ourselves in the way we view the Bible. We divided it up into two main categories-Law and Gospel. The Law is prescriptive; in other words it tells us what we are supposed to being doing with how we are to live our lives). The Gospel is descriptive; it describes what God has done for us (how God loves us, saves us). If you didn’t already know this consider it your in depth Lutheran theology for the month.
The passage above falls under the prescriptive category. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians is exhorting them to rejoice, and give thanks at all times in all places. Truly this is a hard command and difficult to maintain. The question that I often hear is; how is one to maintain joy and give thanks in all circumstances? Well, I think that the modern church has played word games with passages like this and written them as being unattainable. I, however, do not believe that God through Paul would give us a command that we could not attain.
I think we have made pain and sadness the converse of Joy, and this is simply not the case. Sadness is the opposite of happiness, while despair is the opposite of joy. One can be sad and in pain and still maintain the Joy of Christ’s indwelling. In fact, the book of Acts recounts an incident after the Apostles were flogged. “As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” Rejoicing after receiving punishment? There is no doubt they were in pain and badly beaten, but they were still rejoicing. They had the knowledge of Christ indwelling and put their hope in Him.
This kind of Joy only comes to those who have abandoned their lives into God’s hands, without such surrender joy will always be elusive. If we continue to put God in the passenger seat of our lives, then we will have something missing. If we choose ourselves to be our own masters, then we are picking a person who does not know the best course for our lives. The hard part of our faith is walking the narrow path letting Jesus into every room in our mental, emotional, and physical houses-allowing Him ultimately do the clean up. I say allow because Jesus does not enter into an area of your life if you continually push Him out, or keep him away from.
I think Job was this kind of person. He was wealthy with land, career, and family and God allowed it all to be taken away from him. Before his wife died, the whole family was without land and wealth, she said to Job, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” But Job kept his trust in God.
Shadrach, Mishach and Abed-nego, before they were about to be thrown in the fire said to the king,
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
This is the kind of trust that brings a life of Joy-God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t we will still follow. O, that we would all attain this kind of trust, faith, and Joy.
-jps
F.Y.I. iThoughts are articles I write for My Church’s monthly newsletter.
