It is easy to have a negative connotation of the word belong. From ancient Israel’s view of women to the British oppression of the Irish, to America’s battle with slavery, the word belong ignites images of people as the property of someone or something. God never intended human beings to serve as property.

 

When we speak of belonging to God in 1 Thessalonians 5, we embrace the more appropriate definitions including, to be linked to somebody; to be classified as part of something; to be in the right, appropriate, or usual place; and the one that describes this lesson most accurately, to be accepted and made welcome. Through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, God accepts each one of us and welcomes us gladly into His family. It is His will that you belong to Him in this way. He loves being with you and looks forward to spending time with you. You are a treasure to Him!
 

 

A small ceramic lamb sits on our mantel. It was a gift from a friend, and it belongs to me. I can do whatever I want to with it. Does it even enter your mind that I may want to throw it on the floor and break it or misuse it in some other way? I doubt it. Why then do we fear that if we allow ourselves to fully belong to God He is sure to bring us trouble or heartache or pain or misery or at the very least send us somewhere we do not want to go? 
 

Our God is a good God. Everything He does is right and true, holy and just, perfect and complete. Just as I have no intention of destroying my little lamb, He has only good plans for His sheep. We must simply allow ourselves the freedom and trust to belong to Him.

 

1 Thessalonians 5 develops four characteristics of what it means to truly belong to God.
 

We don’t just give Him Sundays or Wednesday nights or Bible study times, we give Him every moment. The principle may sound daunting, but it will prove to be the best decision you’ve ever made.

 

Paul begins this chapter by addressing what was known throughout the Old and New Testaments as “the day of the LORD.” In early Old Testament times this day was thought to be a day when God would bring judgment on the Gentiles. Later prophets, such as Amos and Isaiah, understood that the day represented God’s wrath against all who refused Him, Jew or Gentile. When Jesus came, He introduced the additional concept of His return as a part of this day.

 

While Paul’s brief description of that day is quite unsettling, he includes the promise that those who belong to God (“belong to the day” (verse 8)) need not fear. We don’t belong to the night or to the darkness but to Him, therefore, we don’t belong to the day of wrath.

 

What does it mean to belong to the day? It means to belong to Him – every day. Live every day like you belong to the one, true God. Live every day like Jesus is your best Friend. Live every day with the thrill that you are accepted by and welcomed by Him.

 

 

He prepares us. Return to the verses about “the day of the Lord.” Paul told the Thessalonians they were ready (verses 4-5). If you belong to God, you are prepared as well. But do we really think God limits His preparation in our lives to this day of destruction? Absolutely not. Jesus wants to prepare us for every day. You can be ready every day for what I have for you if you allow yourself to belong to Me. What happens though? We belong to ourselves. We prepare our nifty little day planners and approach each day with our will instead of God’s.

 

I can make you a promise right here. God’s plans are so much better than ours, and He is faithful. He is currently planning my oldest son’s wedding. While the bride’s mom and I are committed to doing our part, everyone involved desires that day to be God’s day. But don’t limit Him to “the big days.” He will prepare you for your day at work, home, school, travel, etc. today! From infants in diapers to teenagers with jobs; from prickly co-workers to agreeable bosses; He desires to prepare us for them all.
 

The daily disciplines of Bible reading and prayer are often His means of preparation. At the moment our quiet time may seem interesting, but later in the week it can become vital. How many stories have we heard of service men and women drawing on past sermons, Bible memorizations, and prayers during active duty? “Foxhole prayers” are often the result of years of preparation.

 

A friend of mine had an unexpected opportunity to share Christ at Starbucks the other day. She did not get up that morning and plan an evangelistic presentation, but years of serving and communing with God prepared her to share Jesus when the moment arose.

 

 

His light shines through us. Whether we belong to the light or to the darkness, it shows. It reveals itself through our words, attitudes, actions, desires, and priorities. Giving God our days should lead to His light oozing out of us to all with whom we come in contact. Now that doesn’t mean blinding people or flashing them like a strobe. We simply shine. Light the way. Dispel the darkness. Help them see as God leads. 
 

We will study later the choice available within us to turn off that light. Paul calls it “the Spirit’s fire” (verse 19). We have the power to dim that light, extinguish that flame, and block the light completely.

 

How well is God’s light shining through you?

 

His provision protects us. In verses 6 and 8, Paul mentions some of the practical disciplines that reveal God’s daily presence in our lives, and they protect us in Him! “Be alert and self-controlled…putting on faith and love…and the hope of salvation…” Part of every day being His day requires deliberately choosing His provision. The world acts as though self-control is an archaic concept and faith, love, and hope of salvation are an insult to the intelligent. How is it that so many have come to think of drunkenness and slothfulness as inevitable aspects of daily life? God has provided all we need to protect us from these lies and darkness. We must simply respond to His goodness.

 

Two young adults in our community were recently hospitalized with injuries from a motorcycle collision. They were hurt more severely than is typical for this type of accident because they failed to wear their helmets. The protection they needed was sitting in their garage, but they neglected to put it on.
 

God’s protection for us is as close as our breath. The question is will we appropriate it?
In verse 9 Paul reminds us of God’s most wonderful provision – salvation through Jesus. Because of Jesus we are protected from the wrath to come and promised His eternal presence in our lives.

 

On a daily basis we tend to lose sight of the importance of those promises, especially in the midst of trials and pain. My friends, those are the times we must call on His provision with abandon. When He seems absent or non-responsive to the cries of our hearts, hold more tightly than ever. He will come through, perhaps differently than we want or expect, but He is faithful. We cannot control many of our circumstances, but we can always trust Him.

 

He lives with us. “He died for us,” Paul says in verse 10. He’s been to the bottom of the barrel too. And because of that miracle, “we may live together with Him.” If we give Him every day, He will give us His life for every day, His supernatural, incorruptible, immortal, and eternal life.

 

What characterizes your days?

Who orchestrates your days?

To whom do your days belong? 
 

Questions for further study:
What important dates are marked on your calendar right now?

How can every day be “God’s day” in our lives?

In what situation does God’s light seem to shine through you the most (i.e. at work, church, home, school, ministry, community service, Bible study, neighborhood)?

In what situation does God’s light seem to shine through you the least? How can you change that?

How might God want to shine through you today?

Who do you know that is still in spiritual darkness?

How can you help them?

God provides all we need for each day – how well are you appropriating His provisions?

 

Once we agree to give Him each day, He then provides more details.

God created human beings for relationships, but He also has specific designs for relationships, many of which are outlined in these verses. For all of your human connections, examine the principles given and determine if any are lacking and what God may want to do to remedy the situation.

 

God designed relationships for encouragement. Not everyone can be a Pollyanna to all, but if there is no encouragement, no uplifting, no building up of spirit in one of our closer friendships, we must take a closer look and perhaps even protect ourselves from excessive negativity.

 

God designed relationships for mutual respect. Paul’s simple reminder to the Thessalonians in verse 12, “respect those who work hard among you…” may be a reflection of his own personal battles. He has led and guided many, but he has also been spurned and disregarded by many. He knows how disrespect can wound and shred a relationship. Do not hesitate to consult with God about such issues. Disrespect is neither normal nor acceptable to the Lord, and He can reveal truths and solutions in those situations that no one else can. 
 

God designed relationships for love. And love takes many shapes and forms. Ask the Master Potter the appropriate love relationship for each person in your life. Love varies depending on the person. Parental love is so different from the love we have for friends or a spouse. We may not “feel” any love toward an acquaintance or even a co-worker. The litmus test is God’s love. Are we allowing His love to flow through us in each situation?

 

God designed relationships for peace. Missing peace is an important missing piece. We don’t seek the absence of conflict, although it should be minimal. God’s peace simply affirms on a continual basis that all is as it should be. When our spirits become disturbed or unsettled in a relationship, we must step back, discover the source, and recover the stolen peace.

 

If there is a relationship in your life that you have no peace about, take it to the Lord. Ask Him.
God designed relationships for a purpose. He has reasons for different people to be in your life. Every acquaintance is not intended to be your best friend. Each friendship has unique boundaries. When someone new enters the scene, simply ask, “Lord, what do You want this relationship to look like?

 

In verse 14, Paul guides the Thessalonians concerning possible purposes behind some of the relationships including, warning the idle, encouraging the timid, and helping the weak. God may place someone in your path for a brief encounter simply to have you encourage them. He may ask you to help someone else for an extended period of time.

 

Why do we think every relationship carries the same weight? It is simply not true. It is physically and emotionally impossible to invest yourself one hundred percent into multiple relationships. God alone knows your potential. Let Him lead. Each relationship carries a unique purpose of God.  Discover it, live it, and be at peace belonging to Him.

 

I lived years as a Christian, slowly dying inside, because I was so overtaxed trying to be everything that everyone wanted or needed. I didn’t belong to God. I belonged to each person that crossed my path. The freedom that came from giving each relationship to the Lord is a book in itself.

 

God designed relationships for patience. And everyone who had children said, “Amen.” Parenting is the graduate course in patience, but all relationships require it. Humans are experts in getting on each others’ nerves, and when you add the importance of finding God’s will into the equation, irritation is bound to result.

Often people will become impatient with you because they don’t approve of God’s design, and you may become equally annoyed. Count to ten. Step away. Whatever it takes. Pursue God’s best in every way.

 

God designed relationships for kindness. While I fully understand that every moment of every day cannot be filled with Mr. Rogers’ soft-spoken, calm, soothing, and unruffled tone, developing the fruit of kindness in our relationships must certainly be a goal. Our wayward children need a firm hand. Our unrealistic customers must adjust their thinking. Our demanding neighbor must be refused at times. Yet kindness should be the root in our heart. Relationships that lack a foundation of kindness need a fresh infusion of God’s presence and direction.

 

A friend of mine dated a man who was exceptionally unkind. He was rude, repeatedly disregarded her needs, and I just have to say it, he was a jerk. I did not know her at the time of this relationship, and when she told me about him, I asked, “Why did you even date him?” She replied, “I just thought that was the way relationships were. I didn’t know there was anything else.”

I suspect many are entangled in unhealthy relationships, not realizing that God has a much better plan. Which relationships in your life need to change today?

 

We must lay every relationship at the foot of the cross and examine them in the Spirit. Test them according to God’s design and seek His approval alone. When we belong to God every relationship is His.

 

Questions for further study:
What do your relationships look like?

List three of your most encouraging relationships.

What are the highlights of those relationships?

List three of your most discouraging relationships.

What is missing in those relationships?

How many of those relationships truly belong to the Lord?

 

Project Idea: List the relationships that consume the greatest amount of your time and energy. Examine each of those relationships for the seven different characteristics discussed in these verses: encouragement, mutual respect, love, peace, unique purpose, patience, and kindness. Which characteristics are obvious? Which are missing? Seek the Lord about the missing characteristics.

EVERY ATTITUDE AND ACTIVITY IS HIS (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22)
Each item discussed in verses 16 through 22 represents an inward attitude that leads to outward manifestations of that attitude.

 

Joy reflects God’s heart. When our joy is dampened or stolen, He is the only One to replace it. Do not confuse joy with happiness. Happiness depends on our circumstances. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that grows hand-in-hand with peace and assurance. There is a depth involved with God’s joy that should not be easily uprooted.

Prayer reflects God’s intimacy. To pray continually is to have an attitude of prayer whether I am in my prayer closet or at a ball game. Prayer is a state of mind that explodes into action easily such as when an ambulance passes by or a friend’s need is remembered; as well as when the phone rings or email comes requesting prayer immediately.

 

Thanksgiving reflects trust in God’s sovereignty. Paul is not encouraging the Thessalonians or us to be thankful for the rotten experiences of our lives. The preposition used in verse 18 is “in.” No matter how high or low we get, Paul knows a thankful heart reveals uncompromising trust in God. If we belong to Jesus, He deserves no less. Thankfulness in the midst of pain (not for the pain) says, “Lord, this hurts, but I know I can trust You.” Thankfulness when all is well should be automatic.

 
Beyond developing a thankful attitude to the Lord, verse 18 inspires action as well. Let’s tell people thank you without waiting for the third Thursday in November! From service men and women to grocery store clerks to nurses in the hospital and police officers in your area, a word of thanks can go a long way for eternity. Who can you share thanksgiving with today?

 

God is constant and complete. Note three words in verses 16 through 18, “always…continually…all.” God is enough, and His work in our lives will complete us if we allow it. We must escape the mindset of people, things, activities, status, money, power, or anything similar completing us. God alone accomplishes the eternal. Once this principle is rooted in our hearts, godly actions will become our nature.
 

The Spirit’s fire must be maintained. God will not force us to belong to Him in any way. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire,” (verse 19) he exposes our power to thwart Gods’ work in our lives. We can dim the light, smother the flame, or simply burn it out all together. How? Let me count the ways: belonging to the world or other relationships instead of God, feeding our flesh rather than the Spirit within us, walking away from God’s best and God’s will, and the list goes on. Sometimes it begins with just one bad day, one painful experience, or one unexpected disappointment. We become angry or frustrated and take it all out on the Lord rather than embrace the attitudes and truths Paul teaches in these verses. It is always our choice. What will we choose?

 

Protect God’s Word in your life. The word prophecies in verse 20 includes not only predictions about the future (the most common assumption), but also the general speaking forth of God’s word. From Genesis to Revelation as well as messages through godly pastors, speakers, and teachers, as well as your personal time with God. What word is God speaking into your life? Protect it.

 

When you don’t understand it, press in until you do, and beware of stopping with one life-changing revelation. God’s Word is alive. It is a living organism. Many describe it as black and white, providing lists to be maintained and checked off. I disagree. It is Technicolor! His Word is so rich and full and vibrant, we will never grasp it all, but we can enjoy the adventure along the way!

 

“Test everything.  Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (verses 21-22). Don’t be gullible. Listen and learn from others and your circumstances, but filter everything through the Holy Spirit’s work in your life. Guard every good thing God brings you. Give evil absolutely no opening at all, not a drop of wicked water on the Spirit’s fire in your life. You belong to God. Live like it.

 

Study the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. How much of that fruit is evident in your life?

Where is the fruit most evident? Least evident?

What person or activity tends to steal your joy?

Who or what brings you joy?

What does your prayer life look like?

About whom or what do you spend the most time in prayer?

How can you “pray continually” in a practical way?

What are you thankful for today?

In what circumstances is it difficult for you to be thankful?

Who do you know who has “put out the Spirit’s fire”? How can you help them?

How has the Spirit’s fire been threatened in your life?

To whom do your attitudes and activities belong?

 

Project Idea: examine each area of your life for the attitudes and activities discussed in the chapter. Which area of your life is the most spiritually fruitful? Which area is the most spiritually destitute? What steps can you take to bear good fruit in the destitute areas?

EVERY CALL IS HIS CALL (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28)

His call is personal. God himself has called you. How are you answering His calls?

 

His call is peace. If it is truly God’s call that deep and abiding peace will remain. The circumstances will not always be easy or happy, but the assurance of His call will prevail.

 

His call is sanctifying. Every call should make you more like Him and draw you closer to Him. If that is not taking place in something you perceive to be a call of God on your life, ask Him. We miss. We stumble. We take wrong turns. Any call taking you further from Him is not His call. The walk of faith is defined as “not seeing.” God understands we are in process. He doesn’t get mad or upset with us. He simply wants us back on the right track and will gladly help us get there. 
 

His call is complete. If others attempt to steer you in their direction for their interests, do not hesitate to decline. God’s call is sufficient. No other calls are necessary or helpful. So many well-intentioned people insist they know the best for our lives. No one knows but God alone. Advice and counsel can be helpful, but the foundation of the decision must be the unequivocal call of God.

 

Time and space prevent me from sharing the multiple times in my life that people were insistent upon controlling God’s call on my life. From the way I should parent to the way I should teach the Bible, many individuals endeavored to steer my course. Heeding Paul’s advice, however, I tested everything, held on to the good, avoided evil (with many mistakes along the way), and God has revealed His best continually.

 

He is Faithful. If there was ever a verse to underline, highlight, and memorize it is this one. “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it” (verse 24). God will not call you to something only to leave you and watch you flounder. He is there to catch you when you fall. He will do it through you. If you are in the middle of some perceived call and have no sense of God’s presence it is time to ask Him. You may hear, “It wasn’t My call.” It is very refreshing to know something is not God’s call when it is wearing you out.

 

These first areas focused on what I call the primary calls. These calls include the major areas of your life such as married/single, parent, vocation, ministry, church responsibilities, etc.

The principles in verses 25-28 should most certainly be applied to those primary calls, but they are also an encouragement for what I call the fresh calls, the calls that come throughout the day such as a new friend, urgent prayer request, or physical need.

 

His call is a call to prayer. Every day is a call to pray, and when surprises come (especially unpleasant ones) embrace this call with fervor. Paul was asking the Thessalonians to pray about his current situation. God may send people to you on any given day with sudden prayer needs. I pray this call will become a favorite of yours.

 

His call is a call to fellowship. Be open to unexpected opportunities to be a five-minute friend. A woman ran into the back of my car one day. Thankfully it was all very minor and no one was hurt, but she was crying uncontrollably. I stood in the middle of the highway hugging her and speaking words of God’s grace and peace to her. When I left the scene assuring her once again that all was well, the Lord spoke to my heart, “She was crying long before that accident and just needed My touch.” What a thrill to have shared the fellowship of the Lord with a complete stranger for five Spirit-filled minutes. 
 

His call is a call to share His Word. The reading of the letter to the Thessalonians (verse 27) was not a new primary call God was giving. It was for that day, that time, that moment. Shortly, He would be sending yet another letter. On any given day, God may open a door for you to share His Word. Don’t panic. Remember you do not have to have all the answers. Simply share what God has given you. It will always be enough.

 

His call is a call of grace. To cover a call with God’s grace means to remember that it is only by His grace that we have a relationship with Him much less the opportunity to share Him with others. He loves to repeatedly pour out this grace in and through those who belong to Him.  To whom do you belong?

 

Questions for further study: