Introduction
A phrase attributed to the French bishop Jean-Baptiste Massieu goes as follows: "gratitude is the memory of the heart". This is a phrase that inspires us to be grateful, right, but what if "that" memory of the heart is not a very pleasant memory? What if the memory of the heart is a not very pleasant situation? Today's passage touches on this interesting topic of thankfulness, so let's turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Scripture
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Biblical Foundation
The apostle Paul is the author of the letter to the Thessalonians. One of the things we know about him is that he had experience living in all kinds of situations. In the letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:11-13) he writes that he knew how to live abundantly, but also humbly. He also told the Corinthian church of the various situations he had lived through such as: countless beatings, being imprisoned countless times, being shipwrecked at sea, being in great danger, hunger, cold, nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). If anyone had lived through various situations and lived to tell the story it was Paul. One time the apostle was stoned and those responsible thought they had left him dead. However, later he stood up. Now, rightfully so, Paul tells the Thessalonians to "give thanks to God in every situation". He is emphasizing that every situation should be accompanied by a "thanks be to God".
The apostle Paul points out that giving thanks to God in every situation is God's will. This is where contentment comes in.
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Contentment (autárkēs) means self-sufficient, content, satisfied. That is, content in the sense of being satisfied by living in the contentment (fullness) of God. This inner sufficiency is as valid in "low times" (suffering) as in "good times" (temporal prosperity). As you can see, the issue of being thankful in every situation is a matter of contentment. Being in contentment in every situation leads the person to give thanks.
This Thanksgiving season, we encourage you and your congregation to reflect on gratitude using this four-part devotional series during your upcoming Bible studies. Each part of this series includes biblical references, theological and practical reflections and dialogue questions provided by Rev. Dr. David Rangel.
- Intro to Cultivating Gratitude: A devotional series
- Part 1: A Thanksgiving Processional
- Part 3: To Praise is to Give Thanks
- Part 4: To Give is to be Thankful
Practical Reflection
It is true, in life we live all kinds of situations, some are fair, some cause joy, but there are some that are less fair and some that can bring discouragement. As human beings we tend to focus on positive situations to have a reason for gratitude.
This reminds me of my daughter Camila, who from a very young age learned the word "Thank you". At home we taught her to say thank you when we fed her or when her little sister helped her with something. Like everything else, at the beginning we had to constantly repeat the word when necessary. She learned to say it even when the situation did not warrant it. For instance, she would say thank you when she gave us something.
This example made me think that since we were little, we learned to give thanks when someone does something for us or when we receive something as a gift or purchase. But the reality is that few of us learned to give thanks in every situation. And the fact is that giving thanks when there is little or no food in the kitchen is not very common. On the contrary, there are more complaints than words of thanks. Or when we are in sick, a complaint is what regularly comes out of our mouth instead of a "thank you". What I mean is, it is easier to be thankful in some situations than others.
One day, Rosa, a member of the congregation, gave testimony on thanksgiving. Rosa's mother had been diagnosed with cancer. During that time Rosa would talk to her mother who lived out of the country to pray with her and to know about her health situation. However, Rosa shares that each call turned into a time of complaints on the part of the mother. Of course, the situation was complex. One day, Rosa told her mother, instead of complaining I'd like to ask you to write daily 5 things for which you are grateful to God. The mother began to live a life of gratitude even in her difficult situation. Eventually she was healed of cancer.
For John Wesley, gratitude is the believer's response to grace. Wesley practiced this response to God's grace and asked himself several questions. One of which was the following:
Have I set aside some time to thank God for the blessings of the past week?
Regardless of the situation, we can find contentment, so that we can be thankful in every situation.
Questions
- In what situation have you found it most difficult to be grateful and why?
- How can you have contentment?
Conclusion
Life will be full of all kinds of situations. Some just, some not so just, some joyful, some not so joyful. But in every situation, we can find contentment so that we can give thanks to God. Therefore, regardless of the situation in which you are at this moment, find contentment there and give thanks to God.
Rev. Dr. David Rangel is originally from Monterrey, Mexico and is currently a pastor in the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. He earned his Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. In addition to pastoring, he leads his own Momentum coaching group which trains pastors and churches in preaching, discipleship, leadership, and ministry strategies. He also joined the faculty at Perkins School of Theology's Regional Course of Study where he teaches Preaching 324, Advanced Preaching, and Discipleship Training. Rangel is the author of several books. He has been married to his wife Liliana since 2011, and together they have two daughters, Emma Olivia and Camila Michelle. His two favorite passages are Jeremiah 29:11 and Colossians 3:23.