GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
The early church at Thessalonica was anxiously awaiting
the return of Christ. Jesus had promised to return to take his people with Him
to be with God the Father. Look-outs were placed around the town. People talked
much about Jesus’ teachings. They wondered from which direction he would come.
Would it be out of the clouds as he had left them? Or maybe he would show up
walking down the road. The people were preoccupied with his return. They
ignored their leaders. They stopped working. They ignored the needs of
themselves and others. Life was put on hold.
The world has changed since those
early days of the church. In fact life has really taken a 360 degree turn. We
are preoccupied today, but with different things. People waste their days with
leisure activities. They chase after happiness and comfort from short-lived
pleasures like money, food and sex. The world has lost focus of Christ. The
poor get poorer. The sick get sicker. A large percentage of the world today
remains in poverty while the rich and comfortable few occupy every minute of
their lives with selfish pursuits. The world has not really changed all that
much.
God calls us to responsible Christian living. We are not
to be idle in play but are to work in order to provide for our family and our
church family. We are to remain focused on Christ. But all this is to be done
with proper balance and focus. We are to listen to the spiritual leaders God
has placed over us. We are to serve one another in love. We are to encourage the timid and help the weak. And
most importantly, we are to always joyfully pray, giving thanks in all
circumstances to our God.
Jericho Road Ministries: Chapel Service. Rev. Bruce
W. Gimbel.
