Standing Orders

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

James Denney, Scottish theologian and preacher who was born in 1856, referred to these three commands, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. And be thankful in all circumstances,” as the “standing orders of the Christian Church.” A standing order is a prescribed procedure that is permanently in force. These three principles are standing orders for all God’s people for all times. 

I think we can all agree that we should be joyful, pray and give thanks, but it’s those little modifiers that trip us up sometimes. We don’t have a problem with being joyful when we feel joyful, praying when things are tough and being thankful when things are going our way, but always be joyful? Never stop praying? And be thankful in all circumstances? That seems like a bit of a tall order.  

But these three simple commands can reveal the true depth of a life that has been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. Others can see the real impact of the gospel in us when we rejoice even when we don’t feel joyful, when we pray even when it’s difficult to pray and when we are thankful even when we can’t seem to find something to be thankful for. We can see the proof of the power of the gospel in those who claim to believe it, because a heart and life changed by the gospel has both the power and the desire to rejoice, pray and give thanks even in the most difficult circumstances. This is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.