Christian Latina Leadership Blog

By: Margarita Garcia

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Have you ever wondered if you are doing the will of God for your life? Or asked, what does God want me to do in this season of my life? 

I have. In fact, I spend a good amount of time thinking about this. What is the will of God for my life? Is the choice I just made God’s will? Should I do something differently? Am I listening closely to what God has to say or am I leaning on my own understanding? These are questions I wrestle with, and maybe some of you feel the same way. 

The apostle Paul made it clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 when he said, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The apostle focuses on three things that are the will of God: joy, prayer, and gratitude. When I read this verse I love the simplicity of the words, but the message he is giving is not simple at all. The apostle is asking for something that I think is very hard to do. 

By definition, joy or rejoicing is a feeling of great pleasure or happiness as a result of something good happening in your life. This sounds reasonable, of course I can rejoice when good things happen. But what if the ‘not so good’ is happening in my life and finding joy or rejoicing is not fun anymore? If we look at it from a biblical perspective, rejoicing is not about finding happiness the way we see it in today’s world. It is about finding contentment or satisfaction regardless of what the external circumstances are. The apostle was writing to the Thessalonians during a time of persecution. He was encouraging them to continue growing in their faith and telling them what to do in response to the opposition they were facing. You can say that is easier said than done, and I would agree with you. However, the apostle does not stop there and gives them a second key that includes prayer. 

When rejoicing in the Lord does not make sense, prayer does. The apostle said to “pray continually.” He knew “rejoicing always” would be tough, so he told them to always pray. The core of the Christian faith is prayer. When we pray, the unexpected happens. We are empowered to grow in faith, our heart takes a posture of total dependence on the Lord, we are able to love despite the circumstances, and we can give grace because we received it through the sacrifice on the cross. Prayer does not always change circumstances as we most like it, but it changes our heart. We rejoice even in difficult times.  

Lastly, I am so glad the apostle Paul included gratitude in this short verse. Gratitude does not always come naturally for me. Some days I have to force myself to be thankful. I know it is challenging, especially when life takes an unexpected turn. But just like rejoicing, gratitude is an attitude of the heart. Our heart responds in gratitude when we rejoice in knowing that God is in control. God’s plans are better than ours and nothing takes God by surprise. I know I can trust God wholeheartedly and “give thanks in all circumstances.” 

Going back to the initial question, what is the will of God for us in this season of life? To rejoice, even when external circumstances get difficult because God brings us through. To pray at all times because that is where our hearts find rest. And to give thanks knowing that God is not finished with us yet. God has a perfect plan for you and me!