On Thanksgiving

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you...” - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Easter greetings!

The Word of Life Community spent the 40 Days meditating on the Holy Spirit, and the third meditation in a series had a focus on thanksgiving. As I studied the 1 Thessalonians passage, I was struck by how nearly every letter that Paul writes begins with a genuine note, a sizable portion, of affirmation and thanksgiving. I sat down, and I started reading the opening portion of every letter he wrote, and I was blown away by this disciple's ability to see the good and to have genuine expressed affection for all those whom he was serving and, often, writing to exhort to a greater degree of holiness.

I thought, wow, what might it be like if every email, text message, phone call, conversation, and letter that I, that we, wrote began with at least some kind of genuine note of thanksgiving and brotherly affection. What transformative power this cultural and Godly practice of frequent thanksgiving might stir among people today!

Try this: a friend once challenged me, when discouraged, to pray an alphabet of thanksgiving - begin with 'A' and thank God for something that begins with 'A,' then 'B,' and so forth until I find myself genuinely grateful and joyful once more. I'm not sure if I have ever reached 'Z' but I think I have gotten close! I continue to use this practical tool today.

Paul's gifting for affirmation, or his discipline of seeing and acknowledging his brethren's and his flocks' goodness, allowed him to see more clearly God's hand in their lives and to see their character with true clarity, discerned and inspired by the Holy Spirit. I imagine that this allowed him to exhort in love, made him an effective evangelist, and allowed him to live his life in this world with hope.

Many times, even daily, I am brought into broken places, broken lives, and how necessary I have found it to live more in thanksgiving and hope. I have found that continual thanksgiving and a "strengths-based" mindset (what we talk about in classes - very helpful) have born a steelier kind of hope and joy than I have previously experienced. Praise the Lord!