God's Will Archives - Creation Beckons

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 God’s Will for Us

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Paul gives us simple instructions for us if we want to do God’s will—rejoice, pray, thank. I believe that if we do these three things, our commitment to Him will be obvious to others. I also believe that if we do these things, we will live in a manner that will draw others to Him.

“Rejoice always.” I take that to mean that I should be joyful, with a pleasant countenance on my face and the love of Christ showing in my heart and actions all the time. It sounds easy, but we all know that it is difficult to maintain a joyful attitude today with all the garbage that satan is throwing at us. It becomes easier when we remember that the one who lives within us, Jesus Christ, defeated satan several thousand years ago, and He gave us the joy of living in that victory.

“Pray continually.” Now that’s pretty hard. I have to go to work and interact with others. How can I be praying then? Well, not all of our prayers need to be audible. Many of my prayers are done in my heart or in my spirit even when, or perhaps especially when, I am with others. How can I pray when I am driving? That’s often a good time to pray, rather than saying some of the other things that might leap out of our mouths. Often others I see when I am driving “obviously” need prayer or we need to pray for protection from them and from our own mistakes. Those prayers can frequently be spoken aloud. How can I pray when I am studying or reading? This is another good time to be praying, praying for insight and understanding, and probably not praying aloud. I think God wants us to be aware of His constant presence, His nearness, all the time. He wants us to know that conversation with Him is instantaneous any time. Paul used the word, “continually” instead of “continuously.” I believe that he used continually to indicate that even though we can’t actually pray all the time, we can maintain an atitude of prayerfulness all the time.

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Many have said that we need to be thankful in all circumstances, but not necessarily for all circumstances. Others say that we really should be thankful for all circumstances because those are often the times for drawing closer to Him and for growing. Whichever we believe, we need to be thankful for God’s presence, help, and love through all circumstances. It certainly is true that, whatever the circumstance, we do have many things for which to be thankful.

So, thank you, Paul, for reminding us of these three instructions from God. I do know that when I keep them in mind, my life is happier and, certainly, more peaceful.

Philippians 1:6 Entrust Your Work to God

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT).

Know that on the day that you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, He began His plan in your life. He has something for you to do, something that you are uniquely prepared to accomplish. And if He has a plan for you, He will most assuredly give you the tools you need to accomplish the task. Be prepared to be changed, to be stretched in ways you may have never imagined. It will be an interesting and sometimes challenging journey, but it will be both satisfying and enjoyable. Don’t worry about being able to do what God asks of you. He has all the tools in the world in His hands, and He is willing and eager to put them in your hands. “Trust” is the big word here. We have to trust Him; in fact, we have to totally trust Him in order to perform the task to the best of our abilities. Worry about our abilities to perform the task is unacceptable. Philippians 1:6 tells us that He will “continue his work until it is finally finished.” Once you begin his work, He will continue to prepare you and work within you so that you can complete the task. You can’t pass it off to someone else. No one else has the unique abilities you have that are necessary to fully do the work. Yes, you can delay the work and perhaps even refuse it, but if you do, you will know that something is missing in your life. So, for a fulfilled and satisfying life, accept the challenge of God, and work with Him. You’ll be glad you did. Oh, and how will you know when the task is finished? Philippians 1:6 also gives us that information—“until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” And that will be a day of great rejoicing when God says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”