The Thankful Christian

Read It:  1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NRSV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.


Learn It:
I don't  know about you but this seems a pretty hard task for even the best of Christians.  There are times in our lives when we get down and sad and it makes it hard to rejoice.  We also have so many things going on: work, sleep, cooking, chores, etc. that it makes it hard to pray without stopping to do other things.  When we are down and having a hard time it makes it hard to rejoice in everything that happens to us.  Let's take a look at what this might mean though: Rejoicing always means that we should always remember that in both the good times and bad times in our lives we have a God that loves and cares for us so much God gave us Jesus as a sacrifice.  In that we can always rejoice. To pray without ceasing is to again always keep God and the work of Jesus in the forefront of our minds.  It doesn't have to be a formal prayer but an offering of our thoughts up to God.  In those ways we can then give thanks to God knowing and seeing all that God does in our lives in all circumstances.  


Share It:
Spend some time today talking about the things that God does in your lives.  What can you see that God does in both the good and the bad?  What do you see God do in the extraordinary and in the ordinary everyday things?  What are ways that you can give thanks to God for those things?  What offerings can you lift up to God for all the circumstances that you have gone through?  Talk about these and other things that come up during your time together.


Live It:
This week as you work, play, etc. spend some time focusing on rejoicing in the things that God has given you and how you are able to to work through life knowing the blessings you have from God.  That will be your way of rejoicing always and by constantly "thinking" about those blessings you will in a way be praying without ceasing.  Enjoy those blessings!

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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.