This has become one of my favorite verses. Partly due to the fact that I like to wimper a lot when I am going through tough times in my life. This passage from First Thessalonians reminds me that in everything, I can still look on the bright side of things, and find joy.
I can always be joyful because God's word says I should be.
It also says later in the passage to be thankful in all circumstances. This is sometimes hard to do. When I feel like the manager at my job is not treating me well, I can still be thankful to have a job. Being thankful in all circumstance isn't necessarily thanking God for all the bad, but it is thanking him for the good that can arise from the bad.
In the middle of the passage, going back, we find that we are to never stop praying. That makes me think of Philippians 4:8, which says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
This is what should be our mindset should be in life. We should seek to surround ourselves in thought and in action with truth, honor, righteousness, purity, loveliness, and good reputable things. This is not just to protect our reputations as Christians, but to protect ourselves as followers of Christ. Satan loves to defile God's people when he can, and if we are not careful to meditate on the good things that are of God, then it can build a wall between us and God.
Going back to praying without ceasing, I think Philippians 4:8 because it reminds me that my mind should be on true, honorable, righteous, pure, and reputable things. Things I wouldn't mind have God see go through my mind. When you were little, did you ever do something you hope your parents wouldn't find out. Maybe it was in your room, and your parents knocked on the door, and the evidence was everywhere for them to see. You would have to say, "One minute" to get things right. It shouldn't be like this as Christians. Our lives (thoughts, actions, etc.) should be welcoming God into our lives. We shouldn't be afraid to let God in. In fact, he is always with us no matter what, and knows what we are doing.
This is why when I think of Philippians 4:8, I think of Colossian 2:3:
"Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."
All three verses (1 Thessalonians 4:17; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2) tie in together with the idea that we are to set our mind on the presence of God. When I think of prayer, I think of my time spent with God, and how holy and honoring that is. To hear that I have to pray without ceasing, it gives me more accountability to look at what I am thinking, saying, and doing 24/7. Everything I say outside of my quiet time with God he still hears. Why? Because we have a relationship together. He is with me always. This is why verses like Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2 remind us to remember his holy presence in our lives.
Lastly, 1 Thessalonians 4:18 speaks about how everything we just mentioned is the will of God for us. That is to pray without ceasing, be joyful always, and be thankful in all circumstances. How wonderful it is that God wants us to be joyful, thankful, and prayful in all in areas of our lives, no matter the circumstance. He wants us to rely on him in our lives, and not just walk around occasionally saying "hi" to him. Have you ever had a friendship that needed a break because you spent so much time together? Never will this happen between you and God. There's always something new to discover in your relationship with him, and there's always joy to be found in him.
Praise God today that he wants us more than we want him. I know we've had people in our lives we thought we clingy, but when you think about, when the Creator of the earth wants to be apart of your life, what a compliment, and blessing to know that he loves us enough to give us his presence in our lives daily. At any moment. Any day. He will be there for us when we need him. We just have to call, and he will come.
Application
Are your words, actions, and thoughts on things that are welcoming in the presence with God? That is, if God were a part of your conversation and thought pattern, how much would he be apart of it, or would you not be ashamed to discuss with him? My idea of prayer without ceasing means having a mindset on things in our lives that we are not ashamed to have seen in front of our God. What we say should be words we would be willing to use if we were in a church building. What we do is the same way.
As you go about your day, think about what you say, speak, and do. Does it fit the manner that you approach God? The manner at which you are aware of being in his holy presence?
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