Yesterday I sat at my table doing my day 8 prayer challenge when all of a sudden pieces started to fall into place like a game of Tetris (remember that game….all children of the 90s?)
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Christians often ask, “How can I know God’s will for my life?”
Paul answered it right there in that verse! We have a propensity to complicate the Christian life. We get hung up on whether or not we should be a missionary or have a career, whether or not this certain guy or girl is “the one”. We agonize over our calling.
But we need to remember this: Be faithful where are you are now and God will open doors that are in line with his will. Do you want to be an evangelist? Evangelize now, where you are…and perhaps God will open the door for you to do that full time. Do you want to be a missionary? Share the gospel now, where you are…and perhaps God will open the door for you to do that full time.
And this verse is perfectly in line with that: if as God’s hands and feet right here where He has placed us, and if we do these three things Paul has commanded us to do, we will be fulfilling God’s will for our life! In fact, I think that if we do these three things, our daily life itself will testify greatly to God’s love and grace before we ever open our mouths.
So, how do we fulfill God’s will for our lives?
Rejoice always. Joy is a choice, it isn’t a feeling and it isn’t circumstantial. It is the decision to do those things that produce joy in our lives.
Pray always. What would happen if instead of stressing and worrying we prayed. What if when we felt hurt we chose to pray until we felt our burden lifted.
Be thankful always.. We tend to compartmentalize our lives too much. Thanksgiving happens in November. On Facebook we daily list those things for which we’re thankful, but December – October we rant and complain. But Paul said that in everything we are to be thankful. In EVERYTHING. Even in the situation we have right now. Yep. Even now.
How would our lives be different if we lived this way?
Many of you know that I battle with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome; which is directly tied to stress.
Sure, there are some kinds of stress we can’t control or avoid, but there are many kinds that we can. And I believe that God showed me in this verse that a significant amount of my recovery will occur when I begin fulfilling God’s will.
When I choose joy. When I choose to pray and not stress or worry. When I choose to daily be thankful and grateful in everything!
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Author Profile
- Rosilind, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live in the country with their 2 active boys where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associates of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.
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Amen! Great advice, Rosilind. Do it now, where you are. God will open the doors from there. How else will we know, unless we just start doing it?
Thanks so much for hosting, Rosilind!
Thank you for hosting!
I’m linking up today for the first time. Really, you had me at “Adrenal Fatigue”.
Welcome, Liz!! Do you suffer from Adrenal Fatigue?
Awesome advice and amazing encouragement, Rosilind! Thanks for sharing and for hosting! Hope you have a wonderful week 🙂
Hey Rosalind, Happy Wednesday!
It’s so good to be here partying with you and the R & R community! Thanks so much for hosting.
Have a blessed weekend, my friend!
Blessings,
Tiffiney
Hi Rosilind,
Thanks, as always, for hosting! The party just keeps getting better and better! Looking forward to getting your health memos…great idea!
Have a great week, friend ~ it was nice to see you over at Coffee & Conversation, too 😉
Thanks for hosting! Have a lovely week!!
I’m sorry to hear of your health problem, Rosilind, but you are so right about putting our focus on thanking and praising God. It truly is where I failed when I was much younger and believe that was part of the reason I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis in my early 30’s. I’m still trying to develop that habit, since it seems so much easier to focus on the negative. But I want to realize what an insult that is to our Lord. Thanks so much for challenging on this, my friend and as always thank you for the linkup!
Thanks for hosting! I see some great links this week! 🙂
Thank you for hosting!!
You’ve shared so wisely here, Rosilind. How do we know God’s will? By reading His Word! While I do believe He has a specific will for each of us, we ought not expect Him to reveal those things to us if we’re not fulfilling the parts we already know. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us at Grace & Truth! You’re always a blessing.
“While I do believe He has a specific will for each of us, we ought not expect Him to reveal those things to us if we’re not fulfilling the parts we already know. ” – THIS!!! So well said.