I am preparing for the message this weekend and as I do, I am reading the several texts suggested for the weekend. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 is catching my eye at the moment. Since so many folks ask me about figuring out God’s will in their lives and generally I think they mean specifically what work God wants them to do or what God wants from them in their next major life-decision. I found these words in the beginning of this text interesting as regards God’s will:

Rejoice always,

Pray without ceasing,

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

While I believe God has a will for all of us and has wired us in certain ways to live out our faith, I also find this piece of scripture fascinating as it directs us to understand that at the very least, God has a broader sense of will for all of us that involves rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks. These are great activities at any time and certainly as we prepare for the coming of Jesus again in our midst. Even when we don’t know exactly what we are supposed to do with our lives and maybe BECAUSE we don’t know what to do with our lives, we need to follow this pattern in doing God’s will. We need to, not simply ought to. Some thoughts on a text that may make the cut for Sunday’s message…