Do you realize the Bible holds the keys to happiness? Do you read your Bible, or does it just sit on a shelf? The Bible is a very important book, and it contains a lot of good, solid Biblical principles for living. If you pay attention to those principles you will be on the pathway to contentment.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul presents a couple of major principles that will help you on your journey. He begins by saying, “Rejoice always.” Now you may not want to rejoice. But what are you going to do when things don’t turn out like you expect them to – gripe and complain and sulk all day long and make life miserable for yourself and those around you? The will of God is that you spend your day full of thanksgiving and full of faith in Him.
Paul follows up the principle of “Rejoice always” with “Pray without ceasing.” Give your days and situations to God, believing He is with you and trusting Him in every circumstance.
Paul then adds a third principle, “In everything give thanks.” In everything? Yes, because “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Reading these principles, you may be wondering, “Am I really expected to do all these things?” If you are seeking contentment, the answer is a resounding ”Yes!” Choosing to practice these principles will give you the peace you are looking for.
One example of finding peace and contentment through God’s principles can be found in the words of a man speaking at his wife’s funeral.
“I’m not hopeless,” he said. “I’ve got joy and peace in my heart. It comes from God and it’s available in a time like this. It’s found in Colossians 2, starting with verse six. ‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.’ (NIV).
The traditions of men say that in a time like this, you should be distraught, and upset. You should feel like the end of the world has come. You should be miserable. That’s the tradition of men. But, if you bear in mind the Word of God; it says rejoice all the time. Pray all the time. In everything give thanks. I’ve tapped that resource, and it can be yours too. How? By not worrying about the outcome of anything, but instead, putting your trust in God.”
What a testimony!
You can make a choice that you will live your life by God’s principles. You can rejoice all of the time, and pray all the time, and be filled with thanksgiving all of the time, if you remember to trust God and His Word during each day.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 2:6-8
Take a step . . .
Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 or Colossians 2:6-8. Apply the principles of the passage you memorize to every situation you encounter daily for the next week.
This devotion is from Dr. Brandt’s message The Secret to Happiness.
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