 |
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
|
 |
| Blessed are those who are totally dependent on Jesus for their joy.* |
 |
Many people lead sad, dismal lives. A portion of those sad
souls just choose to look at life through the lens of hopelessness while the
rest actually have something to cry about. At the other end of the spectrum are
the two kinds of joyful people: those who have positive, happy lives, and those
who choose joy in spite of their circumstances.
Paul gives us a formula for how to be a joy-chooser. First
he says to be joyful always. As if we have a choice. So, obviously, we do.
Having trouble accomplishing this new goal? Well, pray continually. Pray about
your lack of joy – but while you’re at it, give thanks in all circumstances. This may not sound so easy – and it isn’t –
but this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. If it is God’s will, he will
make it happen – but you have to cooperate.
I said this was a formula for choosing joy – I didn’t claim
that it was a magic potion for making all your problems go away. Joy is an
attitude that is not connected to external circumstances. Joy is powered
internally by the Spirit of God. Stay plugged into the power – pray
continually.
|
 |
| It’s infinitely more important to pray than to know what to pray for because God responds to prayer, not prayer formulas.* |
No comments:
Post a Comment