Super Superlatives

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

 A superlative is a grammar adjective or adverb word that expresses the highest degree of comparison. With superlatives there is no middle ground, no sometimes, no maybe. It’s always, never, and all.

My niece just got married and she and her new husband wrote their own vows. They are entering this covenant with joy, excitement, and high hopes for the happily ever after future. Hey, this couple is not unusual. We all enter the marriage relationship that way. They were throwing out superlatives in their vows right and left. I heard the always, nevers, best, mosts, and unconditionals. And there is nothing wrong with that. I think they were wonderful goal promises. They want their relationship to meet these goals. Will they always be able to fulfill their promises? Probably not. They are not perfect. And the witnesses of their promises were not perfect either. We sat there and wished and prayed the best for those two lovely Christians.

Is it wrong for them to have promised in superlatives that cannot always be kept? I don’t think so. Paul threw out some super superlatives to the church in Thessalonica and to us as Christians. Did he think we could always keep them? Probably not. Were they supposed to be our daily goals? Oh, most assuredly so.

This is the preference and desire of God for us. We are to approach all of the circumstances in our life with joy, prayer, and thankfulness. All the circumstances? Yes, all of them. We are supposed to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. There is no middle ground, no sometimes, and no maybe. Joy, prayer, and thanks are supposed to be the first place our minds and hearts go to every time we come in contact with something new. We are supposed to continue in our relationship with our Heavenly Father with these character qualities as part of our habitual repertoire.

Does God think we can do this by ourselves? No. That is why Paul finished these commands from God with “in Christ Jesus.” We are to reach the point that we know these character qualities come to us through Christ. We rely on Him to show us, give us, and teach us how to be joyful, how to pray, how to be thankful, and how to live that way continually.

I’m like my newlywed niece and new nephew. Maybe you are too. I’m ready to continue my covenant relationship with my God with happiness and high hope for a happily ever after future in heaven.

My daily goals as a Christian:

1.    Always be joyful.

2.    Never stop praying.

3.    Be thankful in all circumstances.

And here is the super superlative from God:

This happens in my life always in Christ Jesus.