This time of year, many folks are gathering together with family and friends. During these gatherings, reflections of things individuals are thankful for are often shared. Some of these reflections are deep and meaningful, but often they are simply superficial or generic. Outside of these gatherings this time of year, many who share such reflection give them very little thought as they navigate the hustle and bustle of their day-to-day lives. On the other hand, this time of year, there are those who are alone and feel as if they have nothing to be thankful for at all.
I would like to spend some time in this article examining how one can be a thankful person all the time. It is a life choice that must be cultivated, and at first, effort must be invested to begin to alter our own attitudes and thought processes in order to possess the in-grain nature of being thankful…all the time. It is not something that is automatic but requires determined effort at first, but with time and consistency, it will become as natural as breathing.
The text that we will be examining in order to find some keys to cultivating and maintaining a mindset of thankfulness consistently is 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22. In this text are six keys to obtaining this life-altering mindset, the first of which is found in both the 15th and the 21st-22nd verses. This key calls the individual to choose to align their focus on the things that are good and not on what is evil. I like to think of it in terms of positive and negative…focus on what is positive (which generally are the good things) and do not waste your time focusing on what is negative (which includes the things that are evil). With this focus on the positive and not the negative also comes instructions to abstain from what is negative (evil) and not to create negativity in others by doing things that are ‘evil’ to them. Simply focusing on the positive and giving no room in your life for the negative is a very good start, but there are five other keys to consider.
The next three keys are the most difficult to maintain with total consistency but the greater the frequency and the length between lapses will slowly increase with focused determination to fully adopt these key practices into one’s life. The first is found in verse sixteen and is expressed with two simple words, “Rejoice always.” The hardest part of this two-word command is ‘always.’ That requires us to maintain a constant, uninterrupted state of mind that is full of joy and thus rejoiceful. This becomes easier when one understands the true source of joy, as Peter expresses in 1 Peter 1:3-6. As Peter lays out here, we are to greatly rejoice in the living hope that we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal inheritance laid out before us, the heavenly reservation God has made for us, and the salvation that we shall receive at the conclusion of our time here. These things need to become the source of our joy and, therefore, the things that we greatly rejoice about continuously. This becomes easier once one fully embraces the fact that this world is not our home, and thus, the ebb and flow of the things of this world do not really matter, and we should not allow them to disrupt our joy. In 1 Peter 1:1, Peter hints at this fact by referring to his readers as ‘pilgrims.’ This world and its worries are but a temporary place that we are transiting through as we journey toward our final destination.
The next key is also one that we should seek to practice continuously without any interruption. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul challenges us to ‘pray without ceasing.’ Obviously, this is not instructing us to close our eyes, bow our heads, and never leave that state of prayer, but rather to maintain a prayerful mindset. To never cease to take all of life’s concerns to God in prayer. Also, we can strive to maintain a state of mind that is constantly reflective of God and His will so that we can more easily accomplish the first key. After all, it would be more difficult to focus on the negative and the evil with God right there with you. Thus, it is a practice of maintaining a solid communion and communication with our Father above.
The third key is another that requires constant application in our day-to-day lives; ‘in everything, give thanks.’ The 18th verse of our texts informs us that this is the will of God Himself for us to give thanks with regard to everything in our lives. By specifying ‘everything,’ this requires us to apply thanks to every circumstance in our lives. This requires us to look for the good in every situation and find a reason to be thankful. I recently read an anonymous quote that said, “I was sad that I could not afford any shoes until I saw a man without any feet.” Even the trials of life present reasons for thankfulness; “In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The difficult times of life are the opportunities to prove that our faith in Christ is genuine, and the end result of a genuine faith is praise, honor, and glory. James tells his readers in James 1:2-4 to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials…” then goes on to outline the benefits that these trials produce, with the ultimate outcome being that we become perfect and complete, lacking nothing. So, even the hardest of times are working towards our eternal preparation, and with this in mind, we need to put on the proper lens so that we can perceive the ebb and flow of life in a more positive way.
The final two keys are closely related and tightly intertwined; ‘Do not quench the Spirit’ and ‘Do not despise prophecies.’ These are intertwined because the Spirit is the source of the prophetic word. “…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21) “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” (1 Peter 1:10-12) While there are many other passages, we could look at these two serve well to illustrate how both the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and His Kingdom, as well as the Gospel itself, have as their source the Holy Spirit of God. Understanding this, we can see the importance of not quenching the Spirit as it is the source of truth, nor despising prophecies as they come from the Spirit of God. It is this self-same Spirit by which one in the covenant relationship with God through Christ is sealed (Ephesians 1:13-14) and through which we are to worship God (John 4:24). To despise the prophetic Word and quench the Spirit is equivalent to rejecting God Himself.
Let us all strive to live a life governed by a spirit of thankfulness. One in which we are constantly seeking positivity and rejecting the things that cultivate negativity. Let us continuously strive to maintain a state of rejoicing, being prayerfully minded, and finding the elements in every situation that we can be thankful for. Let us allow the Spirit to do its work in all of its aspects, never quenching or despising it. If we can make an honest effort to do these things, we will find more and more of our days full of positivity and thanksgiving.
