Years ago I was taught something about how to argue. I learned I should not use the words “always” or “never” as in, “You always leave your towel on the floor,” or “You never empty the dishwasher.”
I don’t think I always do anything. And I’ve lived long enough that “never” rarely applies to me either.
My arguments should instead be along the lines of “I feel annoyed when I have to pick your wet towel up off the floor,” or “It would make me happy if we shared the duty of emptying the dishwasher.”
So why is Paul going to extremes in today’s verse with “always”, “constantly”, and “everything”?
I don’t think he expects every moment of my day, every day, to be nothing but rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving. It’s not possible. I think instead he wants to make a point. When I argue that you always leave your towel on the floor, I am exasperated and want to make a point that it’s a very common occurrence. So common that I remember noticing it and dealing with it very frequently. In fact, I can’t think of a time when I saw you hang your towel up to dry properly. But I don’t think you spend your whole day every day throwing random wet towels on the floor. “Always” is just a repeated pattern and a habit.
So Paul is saying my default position should be one of rejoicing. When people think of me, they should think of how often they notice me rejoicing. It should be my habit and pattern and the behavior I return to again and again, no matter the circumstance. The same with prayer and thanksgiving. They should be my first reactions to any stimulus.
When given a wet towel, you throw it on the floor. You always do that.
When I’m given… anything… I rejoice, pray, and thank God. I always do that constantly, about everything.
Dear God,
Remind me to default to rejoicing in my life. Teach me to reach for prayer before any other resource. Open my eyes to recognize your blessings in all situations and to be thankful. Forgive me for reaching for despair or whining or bitterness instead. Your will is so much better!
CamDevo 