“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It was a life-changing, perspective-shifting moment. I was in college, overwhelmed by an emotional situation that wasn’t going the way I wanted it to go and I was miserable. I was a member of the Geneseo Chamber Singers and we were heading back to town after a trip to Boston. As I sat in the back seat of the bus feeling extremely sorry for myself (a very familiar feeling at that time, by the way) I had a sudden revelation. It was one of the first times that I became aware that the Holy Spirit was revealing something to me. I was immediately conscious that being miserable was my choice, had been my choice, and didn’t have to be my choice. It was the beginning of Lent, and I made a decision to give up being miserable for Lent. Truly, I did! My life has never been the same because after that Easter, the end of those forty days of Lent, I have never gone back to being miserable. 

I’ll be honest that for a while I overdid the positive perspective and ignored anything negative without dealing with it. But over the years I think that I have found my balance. Balance comes as I acknowledge what is and choose to trust God’s goodness in the midst of it.

There is actually a simple formula for this kind of life in the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians. It goes like this: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭(1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Always be joyful. To be joyful doesn’t mean to have a party and ignore all the difficulty that is happening in your life. Let’s be honest with each other: Life is hard, and that is an understatement! Joy doesn’t come from ignoring your problems or from everything working out perfectly. It comes from remembering the goodness of God in the midst of it. 

As I worked on not being miserable, and it was work, as I made a daily choice to leave that way of thinking behind, I became more aware of all that was good in my life and I became more aware of God’s good presence in the middle of it all. The tough situations have never disappeared, although there are seasons of respite, where it may feel like everything is going well. Yet, I have learned to recognize and rely on God’s goodness regardless of the situation. That allows me to be truly joyful, even in hard circumstances. My joy depends on God’s goodness, not perfect circumstances. Give it a try, my friend. You can do it with the Holy Spirit’s help!

Never stop praying. To never stop praying doesn’t mean I am on my knees twenty-four hours a day. It means I develop an inner conversation with God that doesn’t stop because I am disappointed or hurt. It means that I talk to God honestly about those things. I bring Him my questions and disillusionment. I don’t turn away from Him because He didn’t do things the way I hoped He would. It means that I continue to trust that He is working even when I can’t see it and keep asking for that thing I know He wants to do in my life and the lives of those I care about. We all have people in our lives who are making choices that are self-destructive. I do, too. To never stop praying means that I keep asking God to do the work in their hearts and bring them to Himself. It means I choose to trust Him continually, even when, especially when, it looks like He is absent. 

Be thankful. This is the thing I most often forget and the perspective that makes the most difference. When I start to thank God, any darkness in my thinking lifts. The clouds clear and I get a better look at what is really happening. When I choose to be thankful, I can see the next step more clearly. When I choose to be thankful, I become aware of God’s presence. I grow in hope. I recognize that even though there is darkness, God’s light is brighter. Even though there is sadness, God’s love brings comfort. Even though people are selfish, God demonstrated His great love by sending Jesus and by filling me with the Holy Spirit, His down payment on the future I have with Him in eternity. I become grounded in these truths: God is real; He is at work; He is good. These are the foundation blocks that I can build a life of thankfulness and hope upon. 

For me, that back-of-the-bus moment made an immediate difference. I stepped out from the back seat, brushed away the streaming self-pity from my face, and chose to smile as I entered into conversation with my classmates. It was a conscious effort. That didn’t make it fake, it made it all the more real because I knew that I was making a decision to change my perspective.

Here is the bottom line, my friend, you and I are deeply loved by our God who never gives up. When you and I can appropriate that truth, becoming joyful, prayerful, and thankful becomes an outflow rather than an effort. You ARE loved. You are valued. You matter. What would your life look like if you really believed that? Joyful. Prayerful. Thankful. 

Key thought: Shifting perspective is a life-changing choice.  

A Scripture to consider: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES challenge: Do you need your own back-of-the-bus revelation? Ask God to show you where you need to change your perspective. Set a period of time where you will work on being joyful, praying, and giving thanks. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your presence in the midst of every life situation. I will choose to trust You as I walk through it. Help me to see things differently. Show me what I need to change so that I can live in the joy of knowing You are present. Help me to turn to You in prayer when I am disappointed or disillusioned. Give me Your grace so that I can live a life of thankfulness. Amen. 

Reposted from February 2020