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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)
For many, this is the time of year for lists. Many shopping lists have been shared, and people are going crazy looking for the items that have been suggested or requested; evidence the number of people out and about at shopping centers, malls, or just count the number of times you've seen the UPS or Fedex trucks pass you. An Advent List for Abundant Living has been shared with us today through this passage. The writer is Paul, and he's one whose life after meeting Jesus changed radically, and most of the life experiences were difficult ones for him; even these words may have come from his jail cell. But the list is awesome if we think of the blessings that are ours if we would but do these:
Rejoice always. The story about the minister asking for prayer requests in a church one Sunday morning and the little boy raises his hand and says, "I'd like to pray for more smiling faces for next Sunday!" Joy is ours and we should express it and share it more!
Pray without ceasing. The sheep in the comic strip above asks the right question: Are there times when you DON'T need Jesus? I can't think of any. I need Jesus all the time, and it becomes easy to pray breath prayers, thought prayers, sometimes out loud praying while driving (with eyes open, of course!). It's good to stay connected with God through prayer; life becomes more bearable and more bless-able.
Give thanks in all circumstances. For many this is hard. We're a demanding bunch and things for some have to go their way or they're not thankful. Paul says to be thankful in all circumstances "is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." What lesson came our way through something we considered a failure. Did we fall? Get up and give thanks; for that fall will never occur again. A grateful attitude gives us higher altitude.
Do not quench the Spirit. Welcome the Holy Spirit into your daily life. He will guide you to many wonderful adventures. Life in the Spirit for the average Christian is never average or boring; always something new and wonderful. Look carefully!
Do not despise the words of prophets. Who speaks for God in your life? Listen, pray, reflect and ask, is this God speaking to me and my life? Are there things I am not doing that I should be doing? Are there things that I am doing that I should not be doing?
Hold fast to what is good. You know what's good for your life; enjoy it and be blessed by it. Some blessings never grow old; don't let the temptation of something new sway you from what is good for your spirit.
Abstain from every form of evil. Abstinence from harmful, deadly things is a good practice. Just because everyone else does it does not necessarily make it right. A thoughtful, prayerful spirit knows what to reject and walk away from.
Be holy. Paul says that if we're willing, God will Himself sanctify us completely. It's a process, not a "holier than thou" attitude. It's a process of humility and grace working together to bless our path of righteousness.
If we do these things, our Advent and our lives will be wonderfully blessed for this season and all seasons.
PRAYER: Loving God, let this be the list for my day-to-day work that I do for You. Grant me strength, courage, boldness to live and do and be the Gospel for all people. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Begin by smiling. Now. Great smile!
Eradio Valverde
