Well, it is the week of Thanksgiving, and as disciples of Jesus, we have much for which to be thankful. Karen and I pray that you and your loved ones and friends will have the opportunity to spend some cherished time with one another over these next few days. We sincerely wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
In relation to the Thanksgiving season, I brought a message this past Sunday (November 24th) from the passage of 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 entitled, “The Lens of the Christian Life.” As the Apostle Paul sought to conclude his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he shared a brief, yet profound, thought with that church. He wrote these words: 16) “Rejoice always, 17) pray without ceasing, 18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Well, now. That sounds simple enough to live up to, doesn’t it? Or, is it?
May I ask you something? Do you always feel like rejoicing in life? Do you always feel compelled to pray as experience certain moments and seasons of life? Do you always feel thankful as various circumstances play out in your life? Let’s be honest with one another and before the Lord here. None of us feel rejoiceful within our hearts all the time. It is difficult to maintain a prayerful mind and attitude through every moment and season of life. And no, there are certain circumstances in life which make it so very hard to feel thankful and grateful within our souls.
So, back to this exhortation which Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. Read those words again… Yeah, that’s what I think, too. “Easy preaching; hard living.” Nonetheless, this biblical exhortation remains in tact for every generation of Christians, and that includes us today as well. This text really does serve to provide us understanding of what the Christian life really looks like. This exhortation serves as a lens through which we can live this life of faith in Christ.
As followers of Jesus, it is the will of our Heavenly Father for us to live lives that are joyful, prayerful, and thankful. Consequently, beginning with this Thanksgiving season, may each of us purpose anew without our hearts before God to live our lives in deeper measures of joy, prayer, and gratitude.
In the opening portion of this exhortation, we are urged to be joyful— “Rejoice always,… for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (vv.16, 18b). Here we have a similar exhortation to the one found in Philippians 4:4, where the Apostle Paul declared, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” This speaks to our objective in the Christian life. God desires for you and me to experience the joys of living this life of faith under the sovereign, yet loving and gracious, Lordship of Jesus. Our Heavenly Father yearns for you and me to experience the fulness of the joys of knowing Him, worshipping Him, loving Him, and serving and loving others in His name.
Beloved, this sense of joy— of rejoicing— is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ; it is rooted in His salvation; it is rooted in the promised hope of His soon return! This joy is not something we just decide to “work up” within ourselves. No, our source for this joy is none other than Jesus Himself. He is our joy in this life of faith. Cf. 1 John 3:1 – 2 & 1 Peter 1:3 – 9.
So, what kind of life are you choosing to live? What kind of life do you want to live? Through what type of lens do you desire to see the moments and seasons of this life? One which is characterized by the joy of the Lord? Or, one marked by struggles with the heaviness of discouragement and despair? May the words of Nehemiah encourage us with this thought: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b). Remember: as followers of Jesus, it is the will of our Heavenly Father for us to live lives that are joyful.
The second part of this exhortation commands us to be prayerful— “pray without ceasing,… for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (vv.17, 18b). This speaks to our directive in life; that is, the path of life we will choose to obey and follow. Through the spiritual disciplines of knowing God’s Word and prayer, we can seek to know and follow the steps the Lord has ordered for us. Or, we can choose to depend upon the assumed wisdom of our own plans and paths for this life.
While we do personally participate in the discipline of prayer as followers of Jesus, this spiritual trait is not centered within ourselves. Instead, prayer is rooted in the trustworthiness of both the Word of God and the character of God. The faith we exhibit through praying is not in the act of praying itself, but rather, our faith is directed towards the God to whom we pray.
So, with that understanding, what factors are going to compel you and me to seek to live each day in a spirit of unceasing prayer through the moments, the circumstances, the seasons of life? Well, I am surely not going to attempt to put a limiting number upon the factors which might motivate us to live this life of faith in a spirit of unceasing prayer. But, there are three specific things I will mention at this point:
1) God is with us (cf. Matthew 28:20b & Hebrews 13:5b).
2) God cares for us (cf. 1 Peter 5:6 – 7).
3) Our God is able! (cf. Jeremiah 32:26 – 27 & Luke 1:37).
So, what kind of life are you choosing to live? What kind of life do you want to live? Through what type of lens do you desire to seek to understand the moments and seasons of this life? One which is viewed through the power and privilege of prayer? Or, one marked by the unnecessary weight of life’s fears, worries, and anxieties? Remember: as followers of Jesus, it is the will of our Heavenly Father for us to live lives that are prayerful.
Finally, this exhortation declares that we are to be thankful— “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (v.18). This speaks to the perspective from which we choose to live our lives. This life is simply more enjoyable— more appealing— more fulfilling as we view it and experience it through the lens of a thankful heart, a grateful spirit.
Question: “What is the significance— the value— of allowing the Holy Spirit to nurture a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness within our hearts towards our God and Savior, as well as towards others?” Let us consider the following four principles:
1) Gratitude exemplifies the Lord’s spirit of humility and joy through our lives to others.
As with the other two traits we have just examined, this one of gratitude is not determined by one’s own personality or strengths. Instead, a spirit of gratitude and a thankful heart is rooted in humility— the humility of Christ. Cf. Matthew 11:28 – 30 & 20:28 \ Philippians 2:5 – 8 \ John 15:4 – 5.
Jesus is the source of strength and sufficiency for my life, and yours. He is our Adonai. May we always humbly acknowledge this truth. May we be ever mindful that Jesus has done something for us which we could never do for ourselves by paying our sin debt in full. Furthermore, may others be able to see “less of me, and more of Him,” by the manner in which we live out this life of faith for His glory, honor, and praise.
A thankful heart and attitude also allows others to see the beauty of God’s grace and mercies even through our lives. A thankful heart and a grateful spirit give off the sweet fragrance of the matchless, incomparable love of our Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 15 reads, 14) “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15) For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
2) Gratitude enhances our intimacy with God in the discipline of prayer, as well as in our fellowship and friendship with others.
The Apostle Paul graciously expressed his gratitude for fellow Christians throughout his New Testament epistles. It was his pattern to genuinely acknowledge the evidenced faith of other believers, and, his unceasing prayers for them. This is clearly seen in his writings to the churches in Rome (Romans 1:8), Corinth (1 Corinth-ians 1:4), Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15 – 16), Philippi (Philippians 1:3), Colossae (Colossians 1:3 – 5), and Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:2 – 3 & 2:13 \ 2 Thessalonians 1:3).
We even acknowledge Paul’s permeating spirit of gratitude as well towards individuals such as Timothy (2 Timothy 1:3 – 5) and Philemon (vv.4 – 7). This spirit of gratitude was also expressed in his testimony of God calling and placing him into the Gospel ministry (cf. 1 Timothy 1:12 – 17).
Paul was a man who was keenly aware that his journey of faith in the Christ life was one which could not be made alone. Instead, it was a journey which was blessed by the personalities, the giftedness, the generosity, the hospitality, the love of other believers who encouraged and inspired him as he emptied his life in the name of Jesus. And so are our own journeys of faith encouraged, inspired, and blessed by God through the personalities, the giftedness, the generosity, the hospitality, the love of other believers.
3) A spirit of gratitude exhorts us to be guarded against taking for granted both the people and the opportunities in our lives.
Listen, apart from a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness, we will become neglectful, and eventually, indifferent towards those who mean the most to us in life. Furthermore, a lack of gratitude within our souls will also diminish our drive and desire to be at our best— to give our best— to live for and serve the Lord with a wholehearted passion.
A lack of gratitude within our souls will lead us to become content with “doing just enough to get by,” rather than striving to be the best stewards of this life which the Lord has given us. We will become comfortable with simply “coasting along” in life. But a spirit of gratitude compels us to redeem both the time and opportunities the Lord is giving us to influence the lives of others with the Gospel for the kingdom and glory of God! (cf. Ephesians 5:15).
4) The perspective of gratitude expresses a spirit of praise and adoration unto the Lord. A heart of thanksgiving— a spirit of gratitude— cannot help but give birth to genuine expressions of worship unto God! Take the time to read through the following passages from the book of Psalms: cf. Psalm 100:1 – 5 \ 105:1 – 6 \ 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31 \ 145:1 – 3. Do these Hebrew songs express the spirit of worship, praise, and adoration within your own heart today?
Listen, what kind of life are you choosing to live? What kind of life do you want to live? Through what type of lens do you desire to experience the time and opportunities the Lord has given you in this life? One which is experienced and viewed with an humble and grateful heart before the Lord? Or, one marked by an attitude of self-centeredness and entitlement in every facet of life?
1 Corinthians 15:57 – 58 declares, 57) “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Oh, church, let us remember this truth: as followers of Jesus, it is the will of our Heavenly Father for us to live lives that are thankful.
As we approach this Thanksgiving season, may each of us purpose within our hearts to…
Ø see the moments and seasons of this life with joyful hearts;
Ø seek to understand the moments and seasons of this life with prayerful hearts; and
Ø experience the time and opportunities the Lord has given us in this life with thankful \ grateful hearts.
This is the will of God in Christ Jesus today for our generation. This is God’s will for even you and me.
Happy Thanksgiving. “The Lens of the Christian Life.”
Anchored to His Faithfulness,
Dr. Allen Roberts