Rejoice always

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5v16-18

If we are not really careful verse divisions can make an understanding of what God is telling us very difficult. For some reason many of us think that verses are able to stand all alone just because they are listed as a verse.

Here is one such case – ‘Rejoice always.’ Taken all alone it looks like a ridiculous impossibility. Just rejoice, no matter what. Lose your job – just rejoice. A child dies – just rejoice. Worldwide economic collapse coming – hey, rejoice always! Teenage daughter pregnant – rejoice.

It is not quite that simple, and I wish the man-made verse division did not divide the verses here.

There is more to it than just rejoicing. ‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. All of this together is God’s will for you.’

We can’t muster up joy all by ourselves. We choose to thank God that He is the one in control. We choose to accept that He is love itself and that He loves us. We keep the lines of communication with God open and we thank Him. Then, we can rejoice that though we don’t understand it all, the God of Love and the God who loves us is doing what is best.

Whose perspective am I going to trust? Mine, or the Loving All-Perfect Creator and Sustainer?