Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.

1 THESS. 5:16-18  --  REJOICE. PRAY. GIVE THANKS.   Video RecordingShared some of this with Cru students recently. Challenging season we’re in!I want to look at one really short passage in 1 Thessalonians 5. Memorized in college. Helps me to this day!Whole letter is awesome; take 15 minutes to read itToday – just 3 tiny but powerful versesRead 5:16-18 “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”Right away notice, this isn’t just peripheral advice, take it or leave it.            “This is the WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus for YOU.”Honestly, at first glance, all 3 of those seem almost impossible and ridiculous.Rejoice ALWAYS. Really? Always?Pray without ceasing. Really? Without ceasing?Give thanks in ALL circumstances… Really? All?Almost sounds like it’s written by someone with their head in the clouds who hasn’t gone through much hard stuff. But was that true?We know Paul went through some super intense challenges, but 1 Thessalonians was likely his first letter (that we have in the Bible) – so had he just not faced many challenges yet? Is that why he sounds so cheery? NOPE! Not smooth sailing for him, or the Thessalonians either:1:6 “you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit2:2 “Though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi…”2:14 “For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews…”3:4 “For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.”3:7 “for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith.”Rejoice AlwaysDoes “rejoice” = “be happy”? Like you should be happy all the time and just giggle when terrible things happen?Of course not. Clearly there are times to weep and mourn.What does he mean then?It’s easy to rejoice in good times – natural – don’t need to be told!Family is healthy, bellies are full, house is warm, laughing…What about hard times?Battling physical illness or mental illness…Lose a job; financial struggles; heater breaks; car breaksRelational tension – family, friend, coworker…Feel unsettled about the futureCan you rejoice then?? Does Paul really mean ALWAYS?Paul really means ALWAYS - Romans 5:1-8“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the Gospel. The Good News of God showing His love toward us in sending his Son to suffer for us – if we put our faith in Him – the Holy Spirit enables us NOT ONLY to have peace with God, and forgiveness of sin, and eternal life…But EVEN to REJOICE in our sufferings.To have joy and hope, regardless of circumstances.Does NOT mean “be happy always”; joy is deeper;We can rejoice even in suffering IF we have the right perspective on God.But even if you know and believe this intellectually, it still seems super hard when you’re facing challenging circumstances.The next two parts have been helpful for me, even very recently.Pray Without CeasingCan’t do anything else? Of course not. Pray throughout your day, every day.Growing up I just prayed before meals, before bed, church.Struck by examples of others praying at “random” times.Driving w/ guy from church on way to workWalking across campus with another studentBegan to shift for me – college – walking, driving, etc.ASK: What is your instinctual reaction to hard circumstances?Where does your mind go?Paul would say, that should trigger prayerPrayer puts the focus on God, not just me/circumstancesAnd HE is the one who can actually help me in my circumstances 4:4-7 – 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Same pattern as 1 Thess 5 – rejoice, pray, thanksDon’t be anxious – easier said than done right? Key: prayer & thanksLearned to pray on knees – early in marriageAngie (depression), me (tried to fix not just listen & pray)Finally – got on my knees – answers, peace – should’ve prayed 1st!Give Thanks in ALL CircumstancesNot FOR all circumstances… IN all circumstancesNeuroscience & psychology – studies show gratitude actually changes the brain… But science is only observing what God already pointed out through Scripture thousands of years ago. This isn’t a new idea.Basics of not taking things for granted – what I model to my kids – food, water, beds, blankets, pillows…Helps w/ everyday “small” stuff– forgot my mtb shoes; could naturally just be in a bad mood – prayer and giving thanks shifted my attitude and blessed my relationshipsHelps with the big stuffSister Katie died –Grieved. But prayer led to clear perspective; realized I could still be thankful. Led to rejoicingRejoice Always, Pray without Ceasing, Be Thankful in all CircumstancesSome are doing pretty well with this – your role then is to help others. They’re all around you. They’re here today.Don’t just give platitudes “Just trust God. Just pray. Be thankful.”That’s true, but the point isn’t to put on a spiritual Band-Aid.Listen, show care, model thanksgiving, pray for them & with them…One day it will probably be you that needs your eyes lifted.You might be thinking, this is nice Billy… but you don’t know just how bad it’s been for me…Corrie & Betsy Ten Boom –WWII – Hid Jews in Holland (“The Hiding Place”); got bustedSent to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. Barracks 28.Corrie smuggled a Bible – they’d read w/ other womenOne night – rancid straw beds - fleasBetsy – immediately began praying – surprised CorrieThen remembered that morning’s reading – 1 Thess. 5“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; be thankful in all circumstances”Betsy – let’s start thanking God for everything here!Corrie – like what? (nauseous over the stench)Betsy – We got assigned here together (Oh yah, thank you Lord)That Bible in your hand (Oh yah…)These cramped barracks so more can hear Bible (sarcastic thanks)Betsy “thank you for the fleas, and for…”Corrie – whoa! Too far. Even GOD can’t make me thankful for fleasBetsy “Be thankful in ALL circumstances… not just pleasant circumstances…”As the days went on, security was still super tight everywhere EXCEPT Barracks 28, so slowly they began to have more and more freedom to read the Bible with other women. Eventually they started having two services per day. Never knew why they weren’t checked on by the guards.One day Betsy discovered the reason & told CorrieThe women were having a problem with their work and asked a supervisor to come to the barracks to settle itBut she said, “No way I’m going in there! It’s crawling with fleas!”From The Hiding Place:“My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place. I remembered Betsie’s bowed head, remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for.”Barracks 28 at Ravensbruck was known as “the crazy place where women have hope.” And hope they had—a living hope.Hope in the midst of darkness.Hope in the midst of persecution.Hope in the midst of unimaginable evils.Many women in Barracks 28 knew and believed that “there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”Some of you are in the pit right now. I want you to know it’s not too deep for God’s love. I believe He wants you to know that you can have hope.That’s want that for myself and I want it for all of you:– hope & peace, no matter what we’re going through– and I want it for all our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers who aren’t here…And I believe God wants to use YOU in their lives to help them experience that too through a relationship with Jesus.