June 12, 2014
WHAT IS GOD'S WILL FOR MY LIFE?
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Joe Daly
Central Truth
God has provided numerous examples of His will for our lives through His Word.
Key Verse | 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
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)
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Final Instructions and Benediction
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, 1 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Dive Deeper | 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
What is God's will for my life?
That is a question I hear quite often. In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby notes there's a better question to ask, "What is God's will?" When we ask "What is God's will?," the focus turns from ourselves toward God. Far too often, I am guilty of trying to conform God's will to my will by asking, "What is God's will for my life?"
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, God reveals three different things that are part of His will, specifically for our lives here on earth: rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and give thanks in all circumstances. I have no Greek training, and I've never been to seminary, but I did look up the Greek phrases translated "always," "without ceasing," and "all." Here is what I found:
"Always" means always.
"Without ceasing" means without ceasing.
"All" means all.
I don't know about all of you, but for me, that seems really hard to live out! My life is definitely not marked by rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, or giving thanks in all circumstances -- far from it. I think that sometimes we ask "What is God's will for my life?" instead of "What is God's will?" because living for our will seems easier than living for God's will. Romans 8, however, tells us that, if we live according to the flesh, by our will that is, we will die. But if we live by the Spirit, by God's will, we will live.
Life is found by knowing God and doing His will. I encourage you to continue to read God's Word to better understand His will. John 6:40, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and 1 Peter 2:15 are a few passages to get you started. The more we know God by studying His Word, praying to Him, and living in community with others who know and love Him, the more we will know and desire to live for His will.
Discussion Questions
1. What would today look like if you rejoiced always, prayed without ceasing, or gave thanks in everything? Pick one of those three and try living it out the rest of today.
2. When praying to God, do you ask, "What is Your will for my life?" or "What is Your will?"
3. Do you consistently spend time reading God's Word, praying to Him, and living in community with others who know and love Him? Pick one of these three disciplines and commit to being faithful at it for the next 30 days.