Stress and Thanks
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
It’s
not a law of physics, but it is a law of common sense: No two objects
can occupy the same space at the same time. (There are some exceptions
in the realm of molecular matter, but let’s stick to everyday “stuff.”)
That makes perfect sense to us and we have no reason to try to prove
that idea wrong. We move one thing if we want to set another thing in
its place.
Strangely,
we are not
as convinced when it comes to spiritual things. For example, we are
willing to worry about a problem and proclaim our faith in God at the
same time. We don’t have a spiritual law that invalidates our effort,
but our experience says it’s contradictory to worry and to praise God
simultaneously. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul says there
are three things we can do simultaneously since they support one
another—rejoice, pray, and give thanks. The prayerful practice of joy
and thanksgiving leaves no room for stress or worry.
At the first sign of stress, pray and give thanks to God for the joy that comes from trusting Him in all things. Not for all things, but in all things.
Dr. David Jeremiah
The measure of our spirituality is the amount of praise and thanksgiving in our prayer.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
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