"God's Will"(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 Although we know that to be saved, we need to have faith in Jesus and confess that he is our savior, yet Matthew 7 warns us that just words are not enough.

 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:21 NIV

 

We are taught that to enter heaven, we need to do the will of God. Anyone who truly professes and believes that Jesus is their Lord and savior will naturally want to do the will of God and not just talk about it. However, what does it mean to do God's will? First Thessalonians 5 gives some insight into this.

 

pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NIV

 

To command to rejoice or celebrate in gratitude is also repeated in Philippians 4.

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 NIV

 

It can be hard to rejoice when our situation is difficult. When we are in need or suffering, it can be almost impossible to truly rejoice in God. How can we show our gratitude to God with unanswered prayers? Yet, Jesus wants us to rejoice in knowing we are saved because of his grace. This knowledge of being saved is enough to give thanks. We also should remember that the hard times we go through is to make us stronger as mentioned in Romans.

 

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Romans 5:3 NIV

 

Finally, our attitude can make a big difference on our life. Choosing to be joyful no matter the circumstances will surely improve our mood whereas being miserable with the times will make things worse.

 

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:13 NIV

 

Prayer is also essential to do the will of God. In fact, we need to pray continually. We should take Daniel's approach and set a time and take our prayers seriously. Our prayers can be done in our daily life. We can have a conversation with God as we take a walk. Whenever we talk to God about anything, this is prayer.

 

Conversation goes two ways. When we pray, we need to tell God what is on our hearts, but we also need to listen. God’s message to us will come through QT, meditation, prayer, and worship. It is not enough that we just speak and make requests to God, we need to listen intently and purposefully obey the words of God.

 

Humility is essential to do God’s will. Our humility allows us to see who we really are. We must admit how sinful we are. In church, we can come as we are. We do not need to pretend to be someone we are not. It is our faith in Jesus Christ which will allow us to be saved and transformed. Admitting that we are not perfect, and it is Jesus changing us takes a humble heart, but that same humble will allow Jesus to do His work and allow us to love others as well.

 

We cannot fill the gaps of our unhappiness and need. When we realize who we are and what Jesus has done for us, we are doing the will of God. It is only Jesus who can truly heal us and save us and that is something to be grateful for and rejoiceful.