| Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. |
| —1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 |
Quite frequently, in these unusually stressful days, when I hear one person make a suggestion to another person, I also often hear the second person respond:
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
Sometimes that phrase is said in jest. More often than not, it is said with a tinge of frustration, anger, and rejection. People just don’t like to be told what to do.
Many years ago, I read a study published in the Journal of Psychological Research on why people in the United States, second-generation or greater, seem to so strongly resist the wisdom of others. The researcher posited that this somewhat rebellious spirit stems from the origin of our great nation. Because we rebelled against the authority of England, that sense of rejecting the guidance of others has become deeply rooted in our culture and in our society. Please let me expand on this observation:
I encountered this societal enigma years ago when I served on an international code-making panel regarding the provision for and installation of fire alarm systems. The subject of installing a lock on the door of a fire alarm control unit came up in the discussion of possible regulations. The representatives from Japan were puzzled as to why it would be necessary to lock the door of the fire alarm control unit. They explained that, in Japan, no one would dare touch something for which they were not directly responsible. Thus, the fire alarm control units in Japan did not have locks on the doors.
We American members of this international code-making committee were aghast at such an idea. We explained to our Japanese counterparts that here in the U.S., without a lock on the door, people would constantly open the door, look at, and possibly mess with the fire alarm control panel, rendering it inoperative.
Do you doubt this line of thinking? How many people in the U.S. strictly obey the speed limit? How many people obey almost any of the rules and regulations without at least grumbling a bit? Here in the United States, we just don’t want anyone to tell us what to do.
Sometimes, admonitions are very good for us. We need to heed such words. An example comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul. In sharing particular admonitions with the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul wrote these words found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We should hope that, when we read Paul’s words, we respond much more positively than:
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
Rather, we should take to heart these encouraging words and apply them to our lives, as we begin another new day:
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.”
Certainly, if we do these three things, we will reap a significant benefit. There is great value in heeding such admonitions.
