What do you see? Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full? The answer is, “Yes” since both are true. But we sometimes use that expression to describe a person’s outlook on life. Are you a glass-half-full kind of person – the optimist, OR are you a glass-half-empty kind of person, the pessimist or what they would probably call themselves, the realist? While there might seem to be some people who seem to have a personality that is one or the other, I think that a lot of times our answer might be dependent upon the circumstances of our lives. You might answer one way if you had a really bad day at school or work and you’re frustrated by someone or something, and you might answer another way if you just got a promotion at work, or you finished all your homework, or everything is right on schedule for Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, the circumstances of our lives can often affect our outlook – glass half full or glass half empty.
The person who wrote the three short verses of 1 Thessalonians 5 which you heard read a few moments ago certainly knew very well the ups and downs of life. The Apostle Pauls seemed to have such a bright future as a young, Jewish religious scholar, highly respected by his fellow Pharisees. Then he became a Christian. Suddenly he lost his status among his Jewish peers, he was forced to leave countless cities because of death threats, he was arrested, stoned and left for dead, beaten multiple times and imprisoned, all for being a Christian missionary. Yet, he closes this letter written to his fellow Christians by saying, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). There might have been a few people who read those words and wondered if all those beatings had finally taken their toll – that he had lost touch with reality.
How about you? Is there a part of you that feels that when you hear those words, “Rejoice ALWAYS, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances”? Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s crazy! Obviously, you don’t know what my life is like!” You’re right. Maybe I don’t know what you’re going through. The first holiday without that a loved one. The uncertainty of having a job in the new year. Frustrations with a friend. Joyful? Thankful? Are we just supposed to walk around with smiles plastered on our faces pretending like everything is great when it seems to be anything but? That’s not realistic. And you’re right. And I think Paul and Jesus would agree, both having had experience living in this world. So then, how can Paul write what he does without denying reality?
The key is found in the final phrase of these verses, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The key is “in Christ Jesus.” The joy and thankfulness that we have as Christians does not merely come from the circumstances of lives, what we can see or feel, or what we do or do not have. Our source of joy is much deeper, much more secure and stable than any of those things. Maybe you can think of it like a buoy floating on the water. There are sometimes when that buoy is just rolling over the gentle waves, and then there are times when that buoy is being violently tossed back and forth between whitecaps and high winds. Still the buoy just keeps popping up in the same place, not going anywhere. Why is that? It’s not because the buoy is so strong. Rather, it’s because of the anchor to which the buoy is tied, an anchor that you can’t see, but that is solidly and securely tied to the buoy, keeping it from going anywhere.
There are times in our lives when we might feel like that buoy. Sometimes things are going along smoothly and we’re just riding the gentle waves of this life. But then suddenly, the winds of hardship start blowing, the waves of sickness and suffering come crashing in, the rains of sudden loss begin to throw us around. And although we may be bounced around, we are at all times firmly anchored “in Christ Jesus.” Without that anchor of Christ Jesus, we’re just trying to make it on our own. While that may appear adventurous and liberating, it’s pretty scary because then your only purpose is to survive. But when you are securely anchored “in Christ Jesus” there is peace. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the type of peace where you get to avoid every storm of life. Instead it is the peace that comes from knowing that no matter what happens, no matter how hard it may be, Jesus has a hold of you, and will never let you go. You are “in Christ Jesus.”
How can you be sure? Because this is the Christ Jesus who saw you drowning under the guilt of sin, like a swimmer trying to tread water while carrying cement blocks. The guilt of not being a better parent, of not being patient with the grandkids, of not listening to your parents, the guilt of sinful pride that refuses to listen to others. Jesus saw you attempting to tread those treacherous waters, drowning in guilt and so he left the safety of his heavenly home and dove in. He cut away the guilt of your sin and carried it to the cross where he took its crushing punishment. He freed you from that guilt and tied you to himself – a love that is stronger than anything. Remember what we heard on Sunday? “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:38,39). There’s that phrase again, “In Christ Jesus.” No longer are we floating through life, attempting to merely survive or fatalistically “enjoying the ride” for as long as it lasts. No! You belong to Christ, your Savior. Your salvation is firmly anchored in Christ Jesus, a constant source of blessing, joy and strength.
What a privilege to know that God. When we look around and see family members, sit down at a table filled with food, look at our homes and the many things that fill them, as we experience the beauties of creation, discover the complexities of our bodies and intricacies of the universe, we don’t simply say, “Thank God.” We get to say, “Thank you, Lord, the God of my salvation, my anchor, my protector and my provider.” We know this God personally through faith, a God who is our Savior. And knowing that God and what he has promised us allows us not only to give thanks for the good things in this life, but also to know that in the hard times, the Lord has not given up on us. Instead, he has given us opportunities to witness our faith in Christ Jesus, a faith that is solidly and securely anchored “in Christ Jesus.”
The hymn that we sang before our sermon, “Now Thank We All Our God” was written by a German pastor named Martin Rinkart in 1630. He served a church in a small village during the Thirty Years War. His village was invaded three times by enemy armies in a single year, leaving in its wake death, destruction, disease and the people in extreme poverty. Pastor Rinkart performed multiple funerals on a daily basis including the funeral of his own wife. Most people would look at the circumstances of this man’s life and wonder why he would write a hymn called, “Now Thank We All Our God.” What did he have to be thankful for? It was certainly not because of the circumstances of his life, but rather his thanks came from knowing that he and his fellow Christians were still at all times anchored securely “in Christ Jesus” and that no matter how much or little they had, they had everything they needed “in Christ Jesus.” Dear friends, by God’s grace we can say the same. We can “rejoice ALWAYS” and “give thanks in ALL circumstances” because the source of our joy and thanks does not come from the ever-changing circumstances of our lives. No! We are ALWAYS “in Christ Jesus.” And so we say, “O, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” Amen.
