Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thess. 5:16-18
Do you sometimes get confused about what the will of God is for you at any given moment? I certainly do. But thankfully Paul, in Thessalonians, simplifies everything by reducing the will of God to three basic elements: rejoicing always, praying continually and giving thanks in all circumstances!
Without getting all tangled up in the 'how to's' of each aspect, I want to make a suggestion about the third -- the thanksgiving part.
My wife recently heard a story that has changed how we approached 'giving thanks in all circumstances.' Here's how the story goes (at least as I remember it)...
My sister and her husband were going through a particularly difficult and tumultuous time in their lives. My sister was getting through the first part of dealing with cancer, she needed to quit her job to concentrate on her health, his company had relocated out of state and they had to sell their house and move so he could keep his job. Mix in all the emotional stress of distance from family, continuing treatments for her illness, and the uncertainty that comes with being a newly minted "cancer survivor," and you get an appreciation for how unsettling and distressing this time was for them. And if that wasn't enough, there was the added complication of selling a house in a down market, the stress and effort of packing up and moving, the financial pressure that came with her quitting work, and the complexities of re-establishing their life in a new place.
As you might expect, some unwanted angst and anxiety came along as part of the move! During one distressing conversation on the how's, what's and why's of their present circumstance and situation,that angst and anxiety started to get the upper hand. That is, until my brother-in-law stepped up and stepped in...
He turned that difficult conversation upside down with a profoundly simple and powerful idea...they were going to begin the habit of writing a thank you note for whatever good news, encouragement, blessing, or provision they received that day and put it into a jar. Thus was the 'Thank You' Jar born out of challenge and adversity...and Pam and I have adopted it!
Our 'jar', a gift from my sister and brother-in-law incidentally, sits above the sink in the kitchen where it can be a constant reminder each day to be sensitive to the blessing and provision of God in every circumstance and situation we face that day. At the end of each month we will empty the jar and spend some time reading each of the thank you's and reflecting on God's goodness to us.
Now our 'Thank You' Jar might not change the world...but we believe it will certainly change us! It has already helped me raise my gaze in trial, be more prayerful and be more thankful. It is amazing how just writing out the 'thank you' makes it more tangible, more significant and more memorable. Since it's right there in black and white, blessing doesn't melt from my memory in the heat of trial. And by re-reading them at the end of the month, we can bring to mind again and again God's goodness and faithfulness.
I'm sure that this is going to help us rejoice always and pray continually...which of course will lead to more thank you notes in our jar...which will lead to...
Blessings...
Teacher, speaker, entrepreneur and follower of Christ; with a passion to be a catalyst for authentic community.