16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians5:16-18
These are verses that many people struggle with. It just does not seem possible to be happy at all times and grateful for everything. How can one be happy in bereavement or grateful for illness or infirmity?
The quick and absolutely true two-part answer is that joy is not the same as happiness and that we give thanks _in_ and not _for_ all circumstances.
While this quick answer is correct, it often feels artificial and superficial to those who find themselves in the midst of tough circumstances. If I have been diagnosed with a dreaded disease it is difficult to imagine joy or gratitude in the heat of such news. To talk about being grateful in and not for my illness can often feel like pointless hair-splitting when I am overwhelmed by the current onslaught of bad news.
But Paul is not a stranger to bad news and tough circumstances. His is not ivory tower writing: Paul has experienced beatings, storms, betrayals, setbacks and debilitating ongoing personal illness.
His hope, confidence and unquenchable joyful gratitude stem from three rock-solid theological truths:
1. God knows and understands what I am going through because Jesus has already been there and my suffering is not an unexpected anomaly but a way in which I share in the suffering of Christ.
2. Christ with us in our suffering and there is nothing (no thing!) that can separate us from His love.
3. The biggest picture is clear that my suffering will not have the last word!
It's about embracing contentment instead of discontent.
(More on this tomorrow!)
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
