All the Time
Rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in a circumstances, for this is God’s will for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
For those of us who are meticulous about our bible, this verse can feel very overwhelming. What?! How can I give thanks for suffering or be happy when someone around me is grieving or have the focus to pray all day long?! That’s not reasonable!
There’s no question that in any sort of literal way these commands are just too much (they are what theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the “pathological overburdening of life by the ethical” - basically, unhealthy ‘should-ing’).
And yet, there’s so much beauty in that verse, isn’t there? Who wouldn’t want all of their friends to say about them that they are a consistently joyful person? Don’t we want to sense our connection with God moment-by-moment during the day? And does anyone want to be less grateful?
So perhaps scripture is onto something here. Perhaps these things are not so much duties as they are invitations. So let’s accept them as such today - three invitations into a richer, healthier, more positive life.
Then we have to think about how to get there, and that’s going to involve some practical stuff. The key here is not to take the practical stuff as some new law or some transaction that God is bound by, but rather as a free and hopeful participation in a new way of living (Jesus’s way of living!).
So here we go. Consider adopting one of these rhythms for a day, and then reflect at the end of the day on how you liked it. Consider trying a different one tomorrow. Consider how you might adapt them to integrate more fittingly into your life.
Make a reminder to send out two affirmations today to people you saw - letting them know what in them you are rejoicing about.
Set a timer for three different times today, and when your timer goes off, pause and pray for a moment.
Write down three gratitudes from the day before you go to bed tonight.