Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks!

I felt like I should read from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians this morning. The following verses are full of material for me to think upon:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 NIV:

[16] "Rejoice always,
[17] pray continually,
[18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
[19] Do not quench the Spirit.
[20] Do not treat prophecies with contempt [21] but test them all; hold on to what is good,
[22] reject every kind of evil.
[23] May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

So often I would just read these verses all together like they were a few sentences, but as I was reading them this morning, I was struck by the idea that each was its own complete thought worthy of reflection.

Staring on the list, the question is how do I rejoice always? How can I set my heart with the right attitude and my mind to see things in such a way that my response is to rejoice? Can I develop this through practice, through guarding my mind, or through the old 'fake it till you make it' method?

I think much has to do with our perspective, our mindset and our identity in Christ. Graham Cooke calls the Holy Spirit the happiest person He has ever met, which I think reflects the very nature of God! He is Happy! He is excited about His creation and joyful. I am reminded of a verse from Isaiah 62:5 NIV: "As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.". This is not a picture of a stern and angry God, but one full of love and affection. If I choose to look at my life from God's perspective, seeing His hand, watching Him draw me to Himself, seeing His provision, understanding His faithfulness, then I can start to rejoice always, for I will see how everything is leading me towards Him. I will see how He is using me to draw others to Him. I will see and understand His incredible love for me. I will become more and more like Him - rejoicing in all things!

How do I pray continually? I have read some interesting books and heard stories of how some people have succeeded in this throughout their lives, and I have tried a few different things myself. I believe this encouragement is addressing our heart and mindset as well as our relationship with the Lord. Prayer is really conversation with God, and the encouragement, as demonstrated by Jesus, is to live my life in constant communication with the Father. This doesn't mean that I am talking non-stop, but rather that I am listening and aware of His presence.

When I spend time with my sweetheart, we don't need to talk every minute to communicate, we know each other well enough to know what the other is thinking just by looking at each other. Our times together involve talking, listening, resting, and just being in one another's presence - it can be the same with the Lord. It is about awareness and inclination. I am aware of the Lord, and I incline myself towards Him. I have certainly not mastered this by any means, but I believe it is attainable. I know the Mother Theresa prayed the rosary non-stop, and although that might seem like just repetitive prayer, the reality is that it caused her heart to be constantly inclined towards the Lord, and helped her direct her heart to Him.

The last reflection for me today is based on the encouragement to give thanks in all circumstances. This flows out of the first encouragement, and is definitely related. Thankfulness is to me one of the most attractive characteristics in another person. The understanding that life is a gift, and meant to be treasured helps to develop a heart of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, while it seems to be self-focused is actually the opposite. When I return thanks I am turning my heart towards the person who has given me a gift and seeing their sacrifice, their heart towards me and expressing the same back towards them. Thanksgiving allows us to set our eyes off ourselves. Also it has been my experience that tire thanksgiving opens the door for further gifts!

Lord, I pray that You will help me to have a heart filled with gratitude, rejoicing, thanksgiving, and You! I want to live my life in constant awareness of You, Your blessings and mercies!