1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18
INTRODUCTION
1Thes. 5:16-18 contain three commands of God:
▪Rejoice Always (Vs. 16)
▪Pray without Ceasing (Vs. 17)
▪Give thanks in Everything (Vs. 18)
They are 3 seemingly impossible commands but they are God’s will for His Children.
1. Rejoice Always (Vs 16)
It doesn’t mean that we should deny our feelings and wear a smile all the time, but to focus on the final outcome of whatever we’re passing through (Heb. 12:11; Matt. 5:11-12; James 1:2-3.
Rejoicing always is a conscious attitude of contentment, hope, and happiness that comes from deliberately focusing on Christ and the eternal treasures that we have received from Him. (Phil. 4:4; Acts 5:41, 16:25)
How Can We Develop The Habit of Rejoicing Always?
a. Focus on the riches that God has freely given us in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14).
b. Walk in The Spirit
▪Joy is one of the manifestations of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
c. Sing soul-lifting songs that talk of God’s goodness, mercy, grace, and love.
▪As we sing, our mind is set on the things above and joy fills our heart.
2. Pray Without Ceasing (Vs. 17)
It doesn’t mean that we must pray every waking moment. Neither Paul nor the Lord Jesus did that!
▪Prayer is communication between man and God. Praying without ceasing means being in communication with God always, through the Holy Spirit inside of us (asking Him, listening to Him, and hearing from Him all the time).
Our prayers should be fervent and persistent (Matt. 7:7).
▪Like a friend who came at night to ask for a loaf of bread (Lk. 11:5-13).
▪Like the widow who kept bothering the unjust judge (Lk.18:1-8).
Rejoicing and praying without ceasing are related because it is through prayer that we can lay hold of the riches that we have in Christ, which are the source of true joy (Rom. 8:31-32).
How Can We Develop The Habit Of Praying Without Ceasing?
a. Recognize your need to depend on the Lord in every situation (Prov. 3:5-6).
b. Send up short prayers whenever you can. Don’t procrastinate prayers..
c. Spend time in God’s Word and pray the Word back to God.
3. Give Thanks In Everything (Vs. 18).
Thankfulness originates in the will and not in the feeling.
▪You don’t have to wait untill you feel like giving thanks before you give thanks.
▪You have to be willing, desire it and be ready to do it.
▪It is a matter of faith and hope that God is working it out (Rom. 8:28).
How Can We Develop The Habit Of Giving Thanks In Every Situation?
a. Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty And Goodness In All Things.
▪He knows the end from the beginning and makes provision before the need arises (Gen. 50:20; Exd.15:23-25.
b. Thankfulness will be our habit when trust in God is our habit.
c. Open your mind to learn because there’s always something God wants us to learn from all situations.
CONCLUSION
To experience a life of unending Thanksgiving, you must develop a habit of trusting God, especially at difficult times.
▪To keep up a habit of trusting God, you must develop a habit of contentment and hope, instead of grumbling and murmuring.
▪To obey these 3 seemingly impossible commands, we must dwell in Christ (Vs. 18). As we learn to abide in Him and trust in Him to work through us, we will progressively become conformed to His image.
▪Jesus was always rejoicing, always praying, and always thankful.
▪Being in Him and relying on Him are the keys to becoming like Him in these qualities.
May the Lord help us so to do in Jesus’ name, Amen.