Will

Today, we are finishing up Paul’s first letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul addresses one of the most commonly asked questions.


1 Thessalonians 5
12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love. 27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


Will. What is God’s will for my life? It’s like the “holy grail” of spiritual questions. Some people have spent years reading books, watching videos and attending conferences in search of that answer. And yet, Paul is somehow able to rattle it off while using only 11 words. Is that possible? Can it be that simple? Yes and no. I say no because I don’t believe Paul meant it as an exhaustive list. I say yes because I believe Paul was demonstrating a pattern for our lives that would cultivate the will of God. There are certain characteristics (like joy and humility and gratitude) that should be so ingrained in our hearts that they naturally flow out of our lives on a consistent basis. This may disappoint you; but I believe God’s will ... his desire for your life is more wrapped up in who you are rather than who you marry or what job you have or where you live. If you’re wondering how ... I believe the answer is found in the verses that follow ... don’t suppress the impulses you have to do what is right (like being joyful and humble and grateful) ... even if it doesn’t make sense in today’s culture, do what God’s word says is right (like being joyful and humble and grateful) anyways ... if you don’t believe me, try doing it and see what happens ... avoid what you already know is wrong (like being angry and prideful and selfish).