WATCHWORD:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. The Message
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. NIV
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. NLT
Meditation:
Without Ceasing?
Here are three different versions of the same passage, each saying basically the same thing, but with slightly different twists. The emphasis is on prayer, of course, but is there a difference between “all the time”, “continually” and “never stop”? It does seem like the Apostle Paul is telling us to never stop praying. How do we do that and is there more to it?
What is it that you do all the time? You know, without ceasing, no matter what happens? Something you do, day in and day out, never stopping? Two people overheard speaking of a friend that “never stops talking”, or “he’s a constant complainer.” No, that is not what is meant.
I can think of at least two things that you and I must do without ceasing: Breathe and our heart pumping away, pushing our blood around for our good health. Of course, those two things must happen and we do them without thinking. Again, I don’t think that is what is meant.
The Message version gives us a clue to Paul’s meaning: “you who belong to Christ Jesus”. Do we understand how inclusive that state of affairs is when we “belong to Christ Jesus”? We are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is, constantly, unceasingly.
Look at those passages again. It is not just praying that Paul is urging us to do. No, if we are Christ’s then we are called upon not to suppress the Spirit, not to stifle those who bring the Word but to test everything. We are to “check out” and hold on to what is good and to reject whatever is evil.
In a week I will be traveling to California, and, is my usual practice, I can feel the early sense of anxiety beginning. On this day, that negative feeling carried into my meditation time, and then I came upon this, written by Mark Alan Williams:
“We may feel like we are at the edge of a precipice and about to fall. But, God allows us to go through trials to see if we will trust or doubt Him; and he wants us to trust him fully. The testing of your faith produces perseverance which makes us mature and complete.”
That short paragraph reminded me that God is in charge, God loves us, and so what grounds do I have to worry? It was at that moment of awareness of God’s presence, that my feelings of anxiety faded.
We often read literal meaning into Scripture, and often it is the appropriate way to understand what God is saying to us. In this important passage, I believe the intent is more in line with this: If we are living the life of faith, then our communication with God is constant, our gratitude, our thankfulness and our awareness of forgiveness is all there in the love of Christ. God is good, all the time. Amen.
A Few Thoughts on Christianity:
- Tithe if you love Jesus! Anyone can honk.
- You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
- Don’t wait for the hearse to take you to church.
- Come early for a good seat in the back.
- Life has many choices, Eternity has two. What’s yours?
- The best vitamin for a Christian is B1.
- Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.
Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, I come before you and ask for Your strength within me. A strength not of the world but of Your kingdom. To refrain from judgement and feast on love. To push out greed and hold tight to joy. To dispel pride and rise with humility. To quell anger and rest in self control. To shun greed and rest in giving. To turn from power and embrace service. To let go of resentment and rest in peace. To push through fear and walk forwards in grace. To run with faith, soar with forgiveness, and allow your eternal strength to abide with me. Amen.
