“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” Philippians 3:12.
We have a natural tendency to look at our problems so God tells us to rejoice. Wallowing in gloom leaves us no room for the lightness of joy. But by focusing on His gracious provisions in our lives we find ourselves free from depression, bitterness and cynicism. Instead, we are able to see God’s blessings all around us and are thankful for them.
As we tend to be gloomy, so we tend to worry. Thus God commands us to pray continually. In our own strength the world is a scary place and life is hard. But in God’s strength we are secure and are provided with everything we need to please Him and be at peace. If we are continually bringing our problems to Him instead of stewing over them we are released from the heavy burden of those problems and are then free to rejoice in His sufficiency.
Our habit of worry leads us inevitably into complaining and so we are instructed to be thankful in all situations. By complaining we shrivel our spirits with bitterness, dissatisfaction and suspicion that we have been treated unfairly by God. But when we count our blessings, our spirits are lifted and encouraged with a deeper realization of His provision for us and we are spurred on to prayer confident that He can take care of our problems.
By making a habit of these three things we elevate our spirits and present God with minds that are prepared for His leading in every area of our lives.
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