Rejoicing is God's Will for My Life

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Giving praise to God is probably the most difficult thing for people of any age to do. Having an 8 year old, I can testify to mankind's natural bent toward complaining, being unsatisfied with what we have and desiring more stuff. Adults are not much better. So it is, when we suffer or when we don't get what we want, the drama begins; we kick and scream, get mad at God for not giving us what we want, and feel as if we're the first to suffer such inhumanity.

Now suffering can be having something you don't want or not having something you want. When you're sick, you have something you don't want: illness. We can also suffer, whether it's real or imagined, when don't have something we want; we suffer If we don't have the food or medicines we need to survive or feel better. It's hard to be satisfied under such circumstances. I know from my limited experiences with suffering that it's hard to think of anything else but your condition in the midst of the situation. I've also learned that sometimes the suffering comes from not being able to be active in ministry. In these situations, it's hard to rejoice or see anything good that can come from the situation.

Suffering isn't limited to just physical or mental suffering. Our secular society is built around making you feel less then adequate if you don't obtain a certain status or amount of stuff. We can say that we're above this mindset, but who hasn't felt inadequate at their high school reunion when confronted by the guy who's a doctor, drives an expensive car and lives in an expensive house. I have to admit that I've felt insecure at meeting a person significantly younger then myself who is doing quite well. Likewise, the goal of commercialism is to remind you about all the stuff you should have that would make your life better so you'll buy more stuff. In other words, our society is geared around creating dissatisfaction with what we have.

Now being free from suffering and having stuff is not necessarily bad. I like not suffering, and I'm all for having stuff. The problem occurs, however, when the avoidance of suffering or having stuff becomes the highest goal in life or when the attainment of these two objectives becomes one's highest good or purpose in life. The technical term for this is called hedonism. Our focal verse of this devotional is the corrective for all of these situations.

I believe this command counteracts the effects of our materialistic society, because when we concentrate on God's goodness, we focus on what He has given us instead of what we don't have. Our problem is that we're generally self-centered. Rejoicing counters this condition by reminding us that God should be the focus of our lives. By rejoicing, we're reaffirming that only God can meet our needs or satisfy our souls. Consequently, this perspective places discontent and complaining in its proper place.

Furthermore, in each of these cases, Paul simply tells us to rejoice without any exclusions or amendments. I know right about now, you're thinking that I'm out of my mind; how could God possibly expect someone to rejoice in the midst of physical or mental suffering? By all accounts you're right; it's not always humanly possible to find something for which to be thankful. And that is how this command sets the Christian faith apart from every other religion. God proves the reality of his existence and power by expecting and commanding the impossible from us. When people see that were rejoicing in the midst of suffering, they know something supernatural is occurring. It just isn't natural for people to rejoice when they're suffering. It just isn't humanly possible to find something to rejoice about in suffering. So how do we find something for which to rejoice when we suffer?

When we're struggling, it's important to focus on what God has provided instead of what we don't have. In doing this, we're confessing that our hope lies in the God who is merciful in His dealing with us. Our rejoicing reinforces the fact that He's still active in our life and cares about our plight. But what happens if you just can't see anything good? I have to admit there are some circumstances when it seems pretty much impossible to find something good.

In those times, when this is so, we must remember that God is the one constant good in the midst of our struggles. No matter how hopeless the circumstance, we can always rejoice in God's goodness and mercy. Again, when we do so, we give testimony to God's character and receive the hope we need.

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