Verse Highlight:
1 Thess. 5:16-17 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NASB)
“Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.” (TPT)
“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (The Message)
Dear Moms,
It stinks, but cheerfulness is a choice. This is not what you want to hear the morning after you’ve been up all night with a fussy baby or when you are trying to make your finances work—not to mention trying to navigate any number of tragedies that life throws at you!
Yet, there is no asterisk. No exceptions. Rejoice always. Choose joy. Be calmly cheerful. Always. How is this possible? And, why is it important?
Well, first of all, I want to clarify something. The Lord is not ignorant of the pain of your life. And, it isn’t that He doesn’t care! He cares deeply! He cares about you and the issues that you face—both the big tragedies and the rubs of daily life. In fact, He doesn’t just sympathize with us from a distance. He truly understands! As Hebrews says, “We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all..” (Heb.4:15 The Message)
The Lord understands. He doesn’t grow angry at our tears. He wipes them from our eyes—and even cries with us. But, in the midst of that, He also call us higher.
Let’s look again at Hebrews. This time the whole verse and the one after: “We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Heb. 4:15-16)
When Jesus was on earth, He experienced all that we experienced! There is one big difference though—He responded without sin. Because of this, we can too.
It isn’t that everything will be easy. It isn’t that we won’t experience frustration or difficulties or pain. But, even in the midst of all of that, we choose how we respond. We can choose to rejoice, pray, and give thanks.
Rejoice. Be glad. Choose joy. This isn’t just an outward, fake smile. This isn’t pretending that everything is okay. This is actually a reflection of your faith. You are glad, full of joy, because your faith won’t allow anything else. Your faith knows that God is good. Your faith sees beyond the current moment. You faith trusts that the Lord will prevail and your life will display His goodness and glory! Dwell on this and it won’t be long before your emotional state matches your mindset. God is good and this is reason enough to rejoice!
Pray. Let your life be a prayer. Stay in constant connection with the Lord. Talk, yell, cry. Listen. Shape and be shaped by the reality of heaven touching earth through your prayers.
Give thanks. Thankful for what? Well, you could start by being thankful for Jesus. Thankful that He understands. That He is with you and He cares. Thankful that He freely gives mercy and grace in abundance. Start by being thankful about that and you may be amazed at how many other reasons you find through be thankful after.
God’s will for us is to trust Him. To stay connected to Him and live according to a higher reality. So, today, I encourage you to do just that.
Action Step: Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks!
Whatever your day holds, make a purposeful choice to do these things. If you face trials, tragedies, or frustrations, don’t deny your experience! But, instead of growing angry or defeated, pause. Go to the Lord for the grace you need. Then choose joy. Pray. Be thankful. As you cultivate these values and responses in your heart, you will find it impact the atmosphere in your home, too. As a result, your home will become a safer (and more fun!) place to be.