God’s Will for your Life

Intro

Good morning everyone! And happy Thanksgiving! For my short time of sharing God’s Word this morning, I just want to focus on one sentence in the epistle to the Thessalonians. If you have your copy of God’s Word, you can turn those with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 beginning in verse 16.

The church in Thessalonica was planted by Paul and Silas back in Acts 17 after they were released from their imprisonment in Phillippi.

By the way, the city of Thessalonica was the largest and the most important city in Macedonia. It was a seaport city that really served as a center for trade. This made it a very strategic location for a church because many new people would move in and out of the city. Thus, it could function as a sending hub for missionaries and church planters much easier.

But sometimes the most strategic ministries are met with the most opposition. If you remember the story from Acts 17, Paul and Silas preached the gospel and were immediately met with opposition from the Jews. So much opposition that the Jews followed Paul and Silas to Berea to oppose him there too.

The life that is lived on mission is not an easy life. But the hardships and trials that we face are nothing compared to the glory we will experience when Christ returns. This is Paul’s point in the letter.

This is just a quick context for Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica. And with that context in mind, let’s look at three imperatives Paul gives as he closes this letter.

And in this season of Thanksgiving, I think that all three of these imperatives are important

Let’s begin with verse 16. Paul writes:

Rejoice Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16 ESV

Rejoice always,

And this is the first thing that Paul tells us. He says to rejoice always.

What Paul is saying here is that in all things, we are to be joyful. But how can we do that? When life is hard and everything seems to be going wrong, how can we possibly have joy? How can we rejoice always? It almost seems impossible.

Let’s be honest for a moment: all of us have experienced sorrows in our lives. For many, the holiday season can be particularly hard. Maybe you’ve lost a family member, or perhaps you feel a deep sense of loneliness during this time.

Yet Paul tells us that there is a joy we can have even in the midst of sorrow. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness depends on our circumstances, but joy is something supernatural—a gift from God, rooted in the work of His Spirit within us. Paul describes this tension in 2 Corinthians 6:10, where he writes, “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

So how do we live this out practically? I believe it begins with our private devotional life with the Lord. As disciples of Jesus, we need a mindset that looks beyond our present circumstances to the eternal realities of God’s love and grace.

The Puritans had a book of prayers called The Valley of Vision, and the introductory prayer beautifully captures this idea:

“In the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin, I behold thy glory.”

What this prayer teaches us is this: when we are at our lowest, we often have the clearest view of God. In those valleys, we realize our dependence on Him, and He reveals His strength, His glory, and His grace in ways we might not notice on the mountaintop. You can have joy if your eyes are fixed on the Lord Jesus.

And this is exactly how Jesus was able to endure the cross for us.

Hebrews 12:2 says,

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Even in His deepest valley—facing the agony of the cross—Jesus had joy because He looked beyond the suffering to the joy of accomplishing our salvation and being reunited with His Father.

So how do you have joy always? You think on what Christ has done for you and on what he will do for you. Namely, he saved you from your sins through his death and resurrection when you were his enemy and he has promised to return for you to be with you for all eternity. The joys of this reality far outweigh any sorrows that we can endure in this life.

I would love to go deeper into that but time is short. The next thing Paul tells us is to:

Pray without ceasing

Verse 17, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

pray without ceasing,

Here we have another seemingly impossible command. How are we supposed to pray without ceasing? Does Paul mean we should spend 24 hours a day on our knees in prayer? That would be impossible for anyone to live their daily life!

Instead, Paul is teaching us that prayer needs to be an attitude, not merely an activity. While prayer does involve intentional times of focus, it also means living in constant awareness of God’s presence and dependence on Him throughout the day. When we live in this awareness, the activity of prayer becomes natural and joyful.

Think of prayer as the posture of your heart—a continual conversation with God that runs in the background of everything you do. Whether you’re driving, working, or spending time with family, your heart can remain open and attentive to Him.

When I read “Pray without ceasing,” my mind immediately goes to George Müller. Have any of you heard of George Müller? Müller was a man of deep faith who cared for more than 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. But here’s what’s so incredible about Müller: he never asked a single person to financially support his ministry. He only ever took his needs to God in prayer.

On one occasion, the children in his orphanage were sitting at the breakfast table with no food to eat. Müller calmly prayed, thanking God for the provision He was about to provide. Moments later, there was a knock at the door. A local baker stood there with enough bread to feed all the children, saying he had felt led by God to bring it. Shortly afterward, a milk cart broke down right outside the orphanage, and the milkman offered the milk to Müller since it would spoil otherwise.

Müller’s life reminds us that prayer is not only about bringing our needs to God—it’s about cultivating a daily attitude of dependence on Him. This is vital because prayerlessness is one of the greatest forms of pride. Have you ever thought about that? When we don’t pray, we’re essentially saying, “I’ve got this; I don’t need God.” But prayer is the opposite—it’s an act of humility, admitting we need God’s help, guidance, and strength for every part of our lives.

So let me ask you: when was the last time you intentionally prayed to God for your needs? Even as you go about your day, I encourage you to talk to the Lord. Share your struggles with Him. Tell Him about the stress of your workload. Or simply speak to Him in love and gratitude, thanking Him for all He’s done for you.And this leads to the last thing I want to share this morning, and it is this:

Give thanks in all circumstances

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Charles Spurgeon, often called the “Prince of Preachers,” once said, “When joy and prayer marry, their firstborn child is gratitude.” Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Rejoicing always and praying without ceasing will naturally lead to a thankful heart.

But let’s be real: thankfulness doesn’t come naturally. If you’ve ever been around kids, you know this! What’s the first thing a newborn does? They cry. They don’t come out saying, “Thank you, Mom, for carrying me for nine months.” No, we’re born ungrateful sinners.

That’s why Paul’s command in verse 18 is so radical. He says, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” All circumstances. How do we do that? How can we be thankful when we’ve lost a job, been in an accident, or suffered the loss of someone we love?

Paul gives us the answer in Romans 8:35-39:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Here’s how we can give thanks in every circumstance: we anchor our gratitude in the unshakable truth of Christ’s love. Christ loved us so much that He willingly died the death we deserved and rose again to give us new life in Him. And the best part? Nothing—absolutely nothing—will ever separate us from His love.

So even when life is at its hardest, you can give thanks because God’s love for you in Christ is secure. Isn’t that good news?

And in the text that Clay opened up for us earlier, Paul and Silas demonstrate this perfectly. These men were in a cold, dark, smelly prison. They had been beaten and threatened—and how do they respond? With thanksgiving and praise!

Don’t let your circumstances dictate your joy. Just like Paul and Silas, we can find reasons to rejoice and give thanks even in the midst of suffering, because our joy is rooted in Christ and His unchanging love for us.

This is how Paul ends this verse. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. You do not have to wonder what God’s will is for you life. It is this:

Rejoice always

Pray without ceasing

and, be thankful regardless of your circumstances

And none of these things will be possible for you unless you have the Holy Spirit living inside you. If you have never believed the gospel of Jesus, let today be that day.

Let’s pray.