Behavior 101 - conclusion

Believers' Behavior 101 continues today. Today's post is not an easy one. I've had trouble with this, myself.
Circumstances.
"A condition, a fact, or event, a piece of evidence."
Notice that nowhere in there did we see the words "unchangeable," or "permanent." But oh, how we think that sometimes! It's usually the sorrowful or painful circumstances that we dread and mope through. We may even whine. We may sometimes cry on somebody's shoulder. That's ok if we keep it to a minimum.....
Let's look at Paul's message to us again:

Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (II Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Rejoice always?
Is Paul kidding?
He had no way of knowing what my world is like. He'd never heard of all the troubles I have.
(Grin)
Really?
Let's see.....
Paul had no wife or kids to comfort him. He was an itinerant preacher who was in and out of jails and prisons repeatedly. Before one was imprisoned, the usual policy was to flog or whip the person. He'd been chained up and cooped up. He'd been imprisoned in dark, dank, smelling-of-sewage dungeons beneath the streets of several cities. Back at the churches he had started, there were people arguing and fighting amongst themselves. He had no steady income, so he was never sure of where the next meal would come from, nor how he would replace his clothes or his sandals.
Circumstances?
Yup.
And this is the guy that says, "Rejoice always."
Seriously.
Always doesn't give us any wiggle room . . . Joy is a fruit of the spirit, so it actually should be completely separate from our circumstances. But we confuse joy with how we feel at the moment. How we view the situation we are in.
Joy is NOT the absence of trouble! Joy is the presence of Christ, no matter what our circumstances may be.
So, rejoice always, and . . . pray continually. Now, this doesn't mean that we have to walk around with our heads down, mumbling or whispering a prayer, bumping into things. (Grin) It means to let prayer and a spirit of prayer to be with us always.  Whenever something comes up, or whenever something comes to mind, we are to pray. It's just that simple. That attitude of seeking Him will permeate our days and cause our attitudes toward circumstances to be much better!

Paul says the third thing we should do regarding our circumstances is this: give thanks. Yes, really. Even in the worst of circumstances, there will be something for which we can thank Him. Look at the example of David in Psalm 31. The whole Psalm is a cry for deliverance from trouble (from his circumstances) but intertwined are verses of thanksgiving and of praise to God!

How abundant are the good things    that you have stored up for those who fear you,that you bestow in the sight of all,    on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling    from accusing tongues. (Psalm 31:19-20)

An attitude of gratitude, as they say, is an invaluable asset to believers. Warren Wiersbe noted, "The world changes - circumstances change, we change -- but God's Word never changes." Praise the Lord for that! His promises are real and true!
When dealing with others, and when dealing with circumstances, it's our attitude that can make the difference. Rejoice, pray, and give thanks.

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It's more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  Charles R. Swindoll

Paul winds up his letter with some rules for behavior regarding spiritual things:

Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt  21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (II Thessalonians 5:19-28)

He says, don't put out the Spirit's fire - don't quench anything that is truly of the Spirit; but on the other hand, don't attribute anything falsely to the Spirit.  The only way to test and determine that is to study the scriptures and ask God for wisdom. We know that if something is truly of the Spirit, it will not contradict anything in His Word.
After testing everything by the Word, Paul says we must hold on to the good, and reject what is evil. Not hold it at arm's length. Not walk around it carefully.
Reject it!
In all these things, we must rely on God, for He is the One Who has called us. He can keep our spirit, soul and body blameless until Jesus Christ's return. We can depend on Him to do all that He has promised.

So, for Believers' Behavior 101, let's Keep It Super Simple..... strive to be godly leaders and followers. Treat each other as we should, so that we have unity (especially since we have a common enemy!). Respond to our circumstances properly: don't let them get us down. Handle spiritual things correctly.

We can do this!
With His help.