Be Joyful Always Series

Feeling like that is not necessarily wrong. Expressing that to God is not necessarily wrong – read some of the psalms if you don’t believe me. And I can assure you that both writers of this passage in 1 Thessalonians know what you’re going through. Paul, whose life was constantly in danger and who was constantly rejected, and the Lord Jesus himself who suffered the torment of the cross and the spiritual torture of bearing his father’s anger for the sins of the world. They know what you’re going through. God gave up his divine privilege when he became a man and died. He can sympathise. He knows what it feels like.

But even so, how can we be joyful and thankful in all circumstances?

Well, first we need to acknowledge what these two terms don’t mean. Joy is not just happiness. And being joyful always isn’t about putting on some false smile. It’s not just about positive thinking or being an eternal optimist. Joy and thankfulness are much more deep-seated than that. They reflect a contentedness, an assurance, a profound faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God. That’s what joy is. It’s not just being happy. And you can be joyful while at the same time feeling sorrow and loss.

In a famous book called“The Hiding Place”, Dutch woman Corrie ten Boom wrote of her family’s experience undergoing the trial of concentration camps under the Third Reich in World War II. Though not Jews themselves, she, her father, and her sister, Betsie, were sent to a series of prison camps for harboring Jews in their Netherlands home. At one point, the two sisters are sent to their third camp, Ravensbruck, and upon their arrival at the barracks, they realize that among other horrors of the camp their barracks are completely infested with fleas. QUOTE: p. 180-181

“Fleas!” I cried. “Betsie, the place is swarming with them!…how can we live in such a place?”

“Show us. Show us how.” It was said so matter of factly it took me a second to realize she was praying. More and more the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for Betsie.

“Corrie!” she said excitedly. “He’s given us the answer! Before we asked, as He always does! In the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that part again!”

I glanced down the long dim aisle to make sure no guard was in sight, then drew the Bible from its pouch. “It was in First Thessalonians,” I said….”Here it is; ‘Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all…’” It seemed written expressly to Ravensbruck.

“Go on,” said Betsie. “That wasn’t all.”

“Oh yes; ‘…to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus—‘”

“That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. ‘Give thanks in all circumstances!’ That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!”

I stared at her, then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.