1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Now Available feat. Citizens, Antoine Bradford, and Claire Jackson

1 Thessalonians

Apr 18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

[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.

“What is God’s will for my life?”

This is a question many have asked at different stages of life. We have a genuine desire to know and follow God in all He’s calling us to, but also we can live afraid that somehow we’re living outside His will or unaware of what He’s calling us to next. Here in 1 Thessalonians, Paul answers this question for us, but in a way we might not expect. He gives us three simple commands that he declares are “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

First, to “rejoice always.”

What a challenging first command! Why is it so hard? One reason is that we often associate joy with seasons of plenty or when things are going favorably. However, Biblical joy is listed as a fruit of the Spirit, not as a fruit of when everything goes the way we want it to. It’s such a counter-cultural command to be marked by joy always! We must learn to rejoice or enter into joy again and again in our lives. What’s the secret to year-round life-long joy? To find our source of joy in God and not in some other alternative. We must fight to remember that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), and not just crumbs of joy. He is why we can rejoice always.

Second, to “pray without ceasing.”

What is a vibrant prayer life? It’s one that doesn’t just come to God when everything has fallen apart, but one that learns to come to God as often as breathing itself. There’s no inopportune time for prayer. We “breathe without ceasing” but sadly we often don’t “pray without ceasing.” It’s as we come to realize our deep need for God that prayer becomes a part of the very fabric of our daily lives. This doesn’t mean we cease all activities except for prayer, becoming modern day monks. It simply means we live the whole of our lives (working, playing, loving, etc.) under the careful and watchful eye of our Father and talk to Him as we do. We enter into the sort of life the Brother Lawrence invites into as we “practice the presence of God.”

Third, to “give thanks in all circumstances.”

This final command in this section is similar to the first command. In this case, we give thanks to God in all circumstances! It doesn’t say thank God for all circumstances but rather in all circumstances. No matter where your journey has led you, and things that have happened to you, we have reason to thank God! He is “eternally thankable” for Who He is and all He’s done. While Americans set aside Thanksgiving as one day a year to intentionally be grateful, Christians set out to give thanks 365 days a year. Gratitude is never out of fashion or out of reach.

One last observation about all three of these commands Paul gives: all the verbs are used in the plural. We must learn to re-joice together, to pray together, and find ways to give thanks together. Perhaps these feel hard because we’ve forgotten that they’re a community effort! God knows we need help, so He invites us to do this communally so we can do it individually as well.

Take a moment to look at each of these commands and then look at your own life. Where are you in your joy in God? Where’s your prayer life at? When was the last time you really thanked God? Are there any places God might be inviting you to take a step toward Him by exploring one of these commands more? Perhaps it’s reaching out to a friend to ask them to join you. Don’t forget that all these commands are situated in the heart of Christ Himself, the one who did all of these perfectly! We need His Spirit to empower us as we seek to follow Him into a life of repeated rejoicing, regular prayer, and constant thankfulness.

THE SONG + THE ARTISTS

This song was written by Zach Bolen of Citizens and performed by Citizens, Antoine Bradford, and Claire Jackson.

Antoine Bradford - Vocals
Claire Jackson - Vocals
Dan Folgado - Guitars
Zach Bolen - Vocals, everything else you hear

The song was produced and recorded by Zach Bolen, and then mixed and mastered by Dan Folgado. Additional vocal engineering by Dan Folgado and Antoine Bradford.