How to Face what Life Throws at Us

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

There are many instances and experiences in life where this passage will aptly apply.  It serves as an antidote to the many situations the world brings us.  But this is not an antidote to take away the bad circumstances in life, but an antidote to our usual reactions to them.  God is not working to change what is happening around us.  The world is going from bad to worse!  What God is doing is working in our hearts, making sure that in everything that we experience we glorify Him, and emit a Christ-likeness that He can use to prove His gospel is true, real – that it really works.  We are those examples.

Many people today are facing the troubles and hardships in life by creating more trouble in their life!  Because life is hard they respond with crime, corruption and complaining.  But Christians are to respond differently, in a way that glorifies God.

So, for us to be able to face the many circumstances in this world, I believe this passage summarizes it all.

BE JOYFUL ALWAYS.

The world gives us no reason at all to be joyful ALWAYS.  Joyful, maybe.  But to be joyful always?  I don’t think so.  The world is filled with so many temporal things that are meant for our enjoyment – money, gadgets, material things…even people.  We are joyful when we have lots of material things, when we have the latest gadgets, when we have money to spend.  We are joyful when we are with joyful people – people who satisfy us, who make us feel good.  But these are temporary things.  And temporary things only give temporary joy.

Many Christians make the mistake of holding on to the same things the people of the world hold on to.  The only difference is we call them “blessings”, and they come from “above”.  So we hold on to the blessings, and they become the source of joy.  We disguise them as “answered prayers”.  As long as God is providing us with these blessings, we are joyful.  But their effect is as temporary as to those in the world.  This is why there are many Christians who are not joyful.

God gives us a joy that is meant to be there always.  What kind of joy is that?  Where is it’s source?

Psalm 4:7  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

Israel was an agricultural country, and they rejoiced everytime they had a good harvest.  Just like in many cities in the Philippines.  When it is harvest time, there is plenty.  But when it is lean season people are not joyful, for they have nothing to spend.  But God fills us with a greater joy than when these crops abound!  That’s the kind of joy God gives us.

Phil 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Our joy is in the Lord.  Not in His blessings, not in His provisions or His moving in our life.  Our joy is in Him.  He Himself, who He is, His very presence, His very being, is the source of joy.  And we rejoice in Him always.

And when a heart is full of joy notice how it drowns out every other negative emotion or circumstance.

PRAY CONTINUALLY

Ask people in the street about praying continually, or without ceasing, and some may say “ask continually”?  Prayer is always related to asking, asking for what we need, what we want, to enjoy life.  We look at God as a giant ear listening bring our requests to Him, hoping that He grants them.  We even use “In Jesus name” to make sure that we get them.

But prayer is more than just asking for what we want.  In fact, if you study the “Lord’s prayer” in Matthew 6, you will notice that asking for what we need is not the first thing that we do, nor is it the very center or focus of prayer.  Sad to say many Christians have missed it.  They use prayer (or use God) to get what they want.

Prayer is all about the Lord.  He is our Heavenly Father…His name is holy…it is His kingdom we desire to see and live in…it is His will that we desire to know and obey in our life.  The only line that talks about giving is “give us this day our daily bread”!  And it’s just about bread – not steak, not rice, not salad – nothing extravagant, just the simple things that we need.

Prayer is really about trust, about entrusting our whole life to Him and for Him.  Prayer reminds us that He is Sovereign over our lives, over all circumstances that come upon us.  And because He is sovereign, He is in control.  And because He is in control we surrender to Him, as He has His way in our lives.

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

No, God doesn’t want us thanking Him for the problem, the pain or sickness.  Notice it says we are to give thanks IN all circumstances, not give thanks FOR all circumstances.  It’s about giving thanks no matter what the circumstance is that we are facing.  It’s about having a thankful heart, a thankful attitude, no matter what it is we are going through.

And to be thankful in all circumstances means – first, that we ask God to open our eyes and allow us to see reasons that we are to be thankful for.  There is always something to be thankful for. That’s why we pray for food – or have we forgotten?

Second, that our thankfulness stems from our knowing God.  The first two points above are helpful in this area.  When our source of joy is God Himself, and we surrender and trust Him as we pray, thankfulness naturally comes from within our hearts!

Thirdly, our being thankful is founded in our knowledge of the truth.  Go back to the gospel, and realize God’s grace working in our life.  That will surely bring thanksgiving from our hearts and lips.  Go to His truths, and the Lord will reveal to us the reasons why we are to be thankful to Him.  For example:

James 1:2  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
James 1:3  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
James 1:4  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Now that’s a truth of God concerning His inner working in our heart, and something that we should be thankful for.  So in the midst of trials we are thankful that we have a God who is developing our perseverance, that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Our thanksgiving is not just in God taking away the problem, but also in what He is teaching us and forming in us while we are in the midst of the problem.

Be joyful always.  Pray without ceasing.  Give thanks in all circumstances.  It works!  He works!  And He will work in our hearts as we focus on Him at all times.