I have really been convicted lately about being thankful and joyful. It came up in a discussion on Monday and again last night. Last night, however, I was pointed to a verse that really states something I hadn't considered before:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Here, Paul is telling us two things that come up often in the New Testament: be joyful and pray often. He follows this with something that really goes back to the story of Job (see Job 1:20 from Tuesday's blog) - being thankful and praising God in all circumstances. But, the thing that really made me think was the final phrase - that this continual prayer and state of thankfulness is God's will for us. I always look at God's will in my life as decisions, as a course of action, as a direction. I never consider that God's will in my life is not so much about what I do, choose, or what happens to me, BUT RATHER a frame of mind. God talks about Himself in terms of 'being' ... the Great I AM etc. Joyfulness, thankfulness and prayer are similarly states of being and not places, occupations and milestones ... the things I have always associated God's will with.

God is not so much interested in where we are, but where our hearts are. This is truly good news, because it means that His love and grace can extend to any person in any physical / worldly situation, from a destitute street urchin to a king. It means that we can stop worrying about where we are in life and start focusing on where our hearts are.

Have a joyful, prayerful and thankful day!