Fantastic Four

This week has been quite an adventure.  I can't even begin to describe the amount of energy I've put in, the number of thoughts my mind have contemplated on and the array of human emotions I felt in its brief duration--all things, circumstances and events marvelously orchestrated by our awesome Lord.

And in all that, I am reminded from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Psalm 46:10 of four vital ways to keeping a healthy Christian spirit: rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances and be still & know that God is God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

Rejoice always.  It is said that happiness and joy are two different things as happiness is a fleeting feeling dependent primarily on "good circumstances or happenings" while joy "transcends the realm of the supernatural" and can be a by-product of suffering or affliction.  On the spiritual level, joy may refer to the extreme happiness with which the believer contemplates salvation and the bliss of the afterlife or belief in future grace.   Spiritual joys also elevate the secular happiness of believers as secular successes, triumphs or victories may be regarded as unexpected benefits from God.  God's kingdom is described as "righteousness, peace and joy" (Rom 14:17) and the certainty of salvation due to our fellowship with Jesus Christ and the knowledge of His Word is a cause of continuous joy.

Pray continually.  There is a great sense of dependence on God when we pray.  And to pray continually would mean that we are communing with, longing for, depending and leaning on God all the time.  Unfortunately, that is not true for the human nature, or at least I can say it isn't that true for me all the time.  I have carnal, sinful and stubborn inclinations that only a continual communion with God and meditation on His Word can bring forth repentance and change.  And in the words of Ptr. John Piper, "Nobody is inclined to the Word, or sees spiritual wonders in the Word, or is satisfied with the Word, who does not pray and pray and pray the way the psalmists did. So I plead with you to pray without ceasing. And as an aid to that wonderful spontaneity of day and night praying and meditation, build disciplined times of prayer and meditation into your life. Maybe once or twice or three times or seven times a day (as the psalmist in Psalm 119:164, "Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances.").

Give thanks in all circumstances.  To give thanks in positive circumstances is a no-brainer but to be thankful in the horrifying or depressing of circumstances will be a challenge to many.  Jesus showed us a great example to give thanks in the face of horror at the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:19).  The Greek word for “thanks” in this verse is eucharisteo and author Ann Voskamp best unpacked this word with this, "The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy. (Eucharisteo Conversation)"  Jesus’s thanks was not based on his present circumstances. He was about to endure the worst possible horror. He felt thankful to the Father for the grace and glory that was coming because of the cross and this gave him joy. Eucharisteo. 

Be still, and know that I am God.  The Hebrew word "chashah" means to be silent, inactive, or still.  Nothing else comes close to mind than every time I experience palpitations due to my heart condition.  My heart would race between 140bpm to 210bpm.  I would need to keep still, lie down or sit comfortably whilst waiting for medical help.  These episodes are quite exhausting because it's like having a full body workout without moving a finger.  These are the times when I am ever in touch with my mortality and realize that I have no control over my life, let alone my body.  There is nothing else to do than to submit and surrender my will to God's sovereign and perfect will.  And in my journey of faith, I have seen and tasted the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 34:8) for which He proves time and time again that though I keep failing Him, He is worthy of all trust, honor, worship and praise.

So on our waking moments, let us make that conscious decision to fill our hearts with gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord and surrender that day to His lordship as well as ask for the Holy Spirit's empowerment to live each day to the fullest according to God's plan for us and I'm pretty sure it will be manageable and fruitful whatever our circumstances.