Category Archives: 1 Thessalonians

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Give Thanks

“Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

That’s what the Apostle Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:16-18. Be joyful—always! Be prayerful—always! Be grateful—always! That’s quite a challenge, wouldn’t you agree? In fact, I would say it is next to impossible to live that command out continually. That is, unless you practice slowing to view all the reasons why God has given you to be joyful, prayerful and thankful—which is the genius of having a holiday like Thanksgiving.

There’s a chorus we used to sing in our church called Hallelujah, Thank You Lord. The song has a line that says, “Who could ever list your miracles? Who could praise you half enough?”

That’s so true! How can any of us narrow down all the many reasons we have for thanksgiving to just a few words? Yet whenever I begin to count the many blessings in my life—like family and friends and the fellowship of the church, prosperity and provision, health and wholeness, and so many other wonderful blessings that come in the form of people, things and experiences—I always come down to this bottom line reason for my gratitude:

God’s grace and mercy in my life!

That’s really the reason I’m most thankful.

In Lamentations 3:22, the prophet Jeremiah summed up this whole idea of grace and mercy in one of my favorite verses, where he wrote these words:

Because of the Lord’s great love
we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness.

Think about it: If it weren’t for the great love of the Lord, none of us would be able to sit at the Thanksgiving table with our loved ones to recount our reasons for gratitude. That’s God’s mercy. In his rich and unending mercy, God didn’t give us what we really deserve: judgment and complete separation from his presence.

So on the one hand, I’m sure thankful for what I don’t have, what I didn’t get, what I do really deserve: God’s wrath poured out on me.

On the other hand, I’m thankful for what I did get—and what I got is what I really didn’t deserve: God’s favor in the form of his love, his friendship, his protection and his provision both for this life and for the next.

Unlimited mercy and undeserved grace! I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that—and I don’t really want to.

And that’s why I am most grateful.

“Gratitude has been called the gateway to the virtues. As Cicero put it, ‘Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all others,’ opening the heart to deeper appreciation, compassion, repentance, forgiveness, generosity and wisdom. Giving thanks should be cultivated as a habit. It is a kind of therapy for the spirit.” ~Bruce Chapman

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Checklist For The Journey Home

Reflect:
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 & 5:1-11

“For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.” (I Thessalonians 5:2)

Both of the Apostle Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church devote a great deal of space to Christ’s return. Paul concludes his first letter by reminding his readers that this great event will happen when people least expect it—“like a thief in the night.” So as believers, we must therefore live each and every moment expecting the unexpected. We are to live with our bags packed, so to speak, ready to leave for our true home—heaven—at a moment’s notice.

What does it mean to live in such a way? Paul gives a checklist of sorts in the final verses of this letter. Perhaps you’ve used a checklist to make sure you have the right things packed in your suitcase before going on an extended trip. As you prepare for the journey home—which by the way, will be an extended trip with no return—here is your spiritual checklist:

  • I Thessalonians 5:6—Be alert! Be on the lookout; remain on guard as to Christ’s return and the evil conditions of the time in which it will take place.
  • I Thessalonians 5:6 & 8—Be self-controlled! Keep your life, your passions, your desires and fleshly drives in check.
  • I Thessalonians 5:8—Be armed! Put on the armor of faith (conviction), love (self-sacrifice) and hope (the assurance of your salvation).
  • I Thessalonians 5:11—Be encouraging! Instead of finding flaws in others, build them up and help them to be ready for Christ’s return.
  • I Thessalonians 5:12-13—Be respectful! Treat your spiritual leaders—ministers and lay leaders—with high regard and love. Give them respect not because of their position, educational achievements or popularity, but because of the nature of their work.
  • I Thessalonians 5:13—Be at peace! Seek peace actively, not passively, with fellow believers.
  • I Thessalonians 5:14-15—Be active! Get involved with others by warning the idle, motivating the timid, helping the weak, being patient with everyone, and exhibiting kindness rather than retaliation toward those who’ve hurt you.
  • I Thessalonians 5:16—Be joyful! Maintain an attitude of joy no matter what.
  • I Thessalonians 5:17—Be prayerful! Stay in God’s presence continually.
  • I Thessalonians 5:18—Be thankful! Not only in good times, but even in bad times exhibit an attitude of gratitude.
  • I Thessalonians 5:19-20—Be sensitive! Develop a sensitivity and an appreciation for the work of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ; especially as it relates to prophecy.
  • I Thessalonians 5:21—Be discerning! Gain knowledge of the Bible so that everything can be tested against it.
  • I Thessalonians 5:21—Be obedient! Understand what the Word of God says, and be quick to obey it.
  • I Thessalonians 5:22—Be pure! Moral purity should continually characterize your life.
  • I Thessalonians 5:23-24—Be dependent! Fully depend on God and cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bring about sanctification and blamelessness in your life—body, soul and spirit.
  • I Thessalonians 5:25—Be prayerful! Regularly intercede for others before the throne of God.
  • I Thessalonians 5:26—Be friendly! Love and affection must be demonstrable, and an outward expression of your inner affection for fellow believers.
  • I Thessalonians 5:27—Be unselfish! Take responsibility to share with other believers the truth of God’s Word.
  • I Thessalonians 5:28—Be gracious! Live in the light and reality of God’s grace, personally and relationally.

Are you ready to go, or do you need to do some more packing? Jesus may come today, so make sure you’re ready for the journey.

“Our deepest calling is not to grow in our knowledge of God. It is to make disciples. Our knowledge will grow—the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised, will guide us into all truth. But that’s not our calling, it is His. Our calling is to prepare the world for Christ’s return. The world is not ready yet. And so, we go about introducing a dying world to the Savior of Life. Anything we do toward our own growth must be toward that end.” ~Jeffery Bryant

Reflect and Apply: Offer yourself to God: “Lord, I long to see you. Perhaps it will be today! But whether it is today or a hundred years from now, empower me through the Holy Spirit to live in a state of readiness, ready to go home at a moment’s notice.”