I Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
Do you like challenges? A lot of people do. We recently had a men’s event here at the Ranch that included some competitions. Everyone wants to be the best. Certainly when you get a bunch of men together there is a lot of competitiveness just waiting to be unleashed.
We like to have the biggest truck, the fastest car, or the best hamburger. We want the best of everything. God’s grace would have us live a life of superlatives. Now when I say that I don’t mean that God wants us to be successful, wealthy, famous, and enjoy unlimited health. No, what I am talking about is God’s actual graces. I’m talking about values like joy, actions like prayer, and decisions like thanksgiving.
Three verses in I Thessalonians are verses of superlatives, that is, not just “more” but “most.” “Rejoice evermore.” “Pray without ceasing.” “In everything give thanks.” So, “evermore,” “without ceasing,” and “in everything” are superlatives. That is what God’s grace would have us to experience. God’s grace would have us live a life of superlatives.
God Himself is a superlative and singular God. The Bible often talks about “the most high God.” God is not a “more high God” or a “better God.” No, He is the “most high God.” When you think about it, the commands to “pray without ceasing” and to “give thanks in everything” go together. Constant prayer and continual gratitude go hand in hand. If I am praying every day, I am going to have a reason for which to give thanks. If I have nothing in my life for which to give thanks, it may be that I am not asking for anything. Of course, if I am praying and thanking, I am living a life of joy going on into the future. These three things go together.
Only God’s power is sufficient to accomplish His own will. Only God’s grace is sufficient to give you unending joy and the heart of continual prayer and gratitude. Verse 24 says, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” God has called us to holiness. That is God’s will for His people. The problem is that I can’t do all these things as I should on my own. No, these are things that God provides by His grace and unlimited power.
So, what kind of life are you living today? If you are just living on your efforts, you might be doing more than someone else, but you are not doing all that you could by the grace of God. God’s grace would have us live a life of superlatives. It is a life that begins by resting in Him and obeying His call and His will.