Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks
We need reminders sometimes to do things that seem so simple when read, but hard to remember when tested. As Paul closes out the first letter to the Thessalonian church, he gives the charge in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to "REJOICE always, PRAY without ceasing, GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." We need to remember that when things get tough it is not doing us any good to wallow in our pity. It is one thing to grieve and deal with pain and loss, but there is a point when you need to not look at the circumstance anymore. Dave Guzik writes "The Christian can rejoice always
because their joy isn't based in circumstances, but in God. Circumstances
change, but God doesn't." Praying without ceasing connects us to the Holy Spirit and puts the focus on our faith in God. Giving thanks in all (not some, most or many) circumstances shows us that while things are not where and how we want them, we still love the good that God has done. Trust me, I know it is tough, but we need to remember to keep God at the center of our lives.
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Attacking Worry
Recently, a friend of mine exposed me to the word "ruminate." I had no idea what it meant but as we discussed the word I understood it to simple mean worry. An expanded understanding is to think about something over and over and over again- like chewing gum (I'm chewing gum right now). After a while, chewing gum, while initially enjoyable, becomes annoying. the gum loses flavor and your jaw can become sore. It no longer serves the purpose. That can be the same thing as dealing with an issue and not coming to a conclusion. It can keep you up at night. All the possible ways things could go and there ends up being no conclusion. Let's look at how to deal with that.
It is one thing to try to figure out a problem, but it is another to just worry about it. What does worry do for you? Initially one may think it is doing them some good and they will quote some scientific journal about hwy worry is good. But, is worry Godly? It might show you that you care, but then when does worry stop? What else will you worry about? Worry creates anxiety for you to the point where you may need to think about something else or do something else in order to stop worrying. Proverbs 12:25 tells us that anxiety weighs a person's heart down. Good words and words of encouragement make them glad. When you see yourself worrying, change your mind. Do something else. Give your nerves a break.
When you worry, I give you a new challenge, seek God's direction. Jesus wants to give us peace and does not want our hearts troubled (John 14:27). God will guide you if you ask Him (Psalm 32:8). God will give you wisdom, if you ask Him (Luke 21:15). We have to be humble enough (Proverbs 22:4) to even want to seek Him. We think we can figure it out on our own and think that we are actually tuned in to God, but we are just trying to figure it out ourselves. We need to unite with the Lord and seek his will for our life in all aspects, not just the one's we choose.
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When the Going Gets Tough
I once read a quote from Winston Churchill who said "If you're going through hell, keep going." Now, that does not mean keep everything the same and just sit there like a dead duck; it means don't give up. But, how can that be applied to our walk with the Christ? Would God ever want us to give up? What does God want from us anyway?
When times get tough God wants us to be patient. The problems do not always just go away over night. During these times we can stay prayerful in our personal time with God. We can pray for wisdom and the strength to endure (Romans 12:12). Know that God will hear you if you are righteous (Psalm 34:17). Maybe that is why things are tough for you. Have you been living a way that God does not want you to live? Have you been treating your body well? Are you surrounding yourself with Christ followers encouraging you to do what is right in the Lord? Have you submitted your will to Christ and accepted God's grace?
Let us also not grow weary (tired) in doing good. It may be easy to try to get revenge on someone who is doing you wrong, but that is not our responsibility. It is easy to be full of wrath when we go through these trials and tribulations, but that leads us away from doing what God wants us to do (Psalm 37:7-9). In our patience and perseverance we will reap if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Every week via text or phone conversation, my accountability partner and I remind one another to stay strong in the Lord. That means don't give up when things get difficult and keep pressing on to do what is right in God's eyes. I encourage you to do the same (Hebrews 3:13).
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Favorites and Correction
Paul continues on the topic of favoritism and non-biblical attributes given to the teachers in the church. Being that Paul saw the dissension among these ideas he thought it wise to address it, which it was. Why see a problem and not address it? That makes no sense. The problem does not just go away if it is ignored. Problems need to be addressed and be done so respectfully. This is what we see here. Paul sees a problem in the church and brings it to light, not just from worldly teaching and what seems rational, but also what is spirit led. In 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul points out that the church members also have gifts from God that help them in their lives, but as they should not be bragging about them, then they should not be comparing one teacher/leader to another as it pertains to the church.
1 Corinthians 4:14, I have heard people say that Paul was getting arrogant and shaming people in his letter to the Corinthians. I do not see it that way and neither did Paul. It was not a letter laced with insults and tirades. It was a letter that was written to correct what was breaking. If a parent tells a child to stop a behavior or they will get in trouble, the child can feel shamed but that does not mean that was the parent's intent. If you boss wants to correct a way that you take meeting notes, stock shelves or speak with customers, the intent is to correct, not to shame. We have to see the whole picture not just how we feel. Just because we feel something it doesn't mean that was the intent.
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God's Power is Bigger Than Your Biggest Problem
Do you know the story of David and Goliath? Not the claymation cartoon from the 1960s (as us old people may remember) but the boy who slay a giant that struck fear into the Israelites. There are some points to take home from 1 Samuel 17.These points were taken from a message by Pastor Kerry Shook from Woodlands Church (link at the end of the blog).
First, we you must attack the giant in your life. We do not do this with reckless abandon, but with God's power and direction (1 Samuel 17:45). How do we know what God wants from us? We must read His word. We must talk to Him. We also have to look at who we are and how we are designed in order to carry out the plans God has for us. David did not cower in fear or pretend like it wasn't there. He faced it head on. What is your biggest fear right now? Is it a relationship? Is it health? Money? Job?
David's instinct after knocking Goliath down was to cut his head off (1 Samuel 17:51). He did not celebrate and pat himself on the back. He wanted to be rid of the Goliath and the fear he was causing in the battle. David didn't want the giant to only be knocked down, but wanted to be rid of the fear and problems Goliath caused. How can you cut off your giant's head? Are you spending too much money? Cut up the credit cards! Are you always getting drunk with your friends? Find new friends that can keep you accountable. There is something major in your life that is causing a problem that needs to be severed from your life. Extreme measures are needed for extreme problems.
David also had an expectation of more giants to come. Life has issues that will not always be the same thing over and over again. But what do we learn by doing the same thing over and over again. 1 Samuel 17:40 tells us that David selected 5 stones from the stream. Why 5 stones? We learn in 2 Samuel 21:15-22 that there were 4 more giants that were related to Goliath. David may have known this before hand which is why he could have selected 5 stones in stead of just one. He was preparing for what else may be around the corner. Once one giant is destroyed we must be ready to face more in the future.
If you would like to see the message from Kerry Shook on David and Goliath in a message called "Giant Killers" please click here.
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