This week, as I was mowing my yard—in November (!)— I was also praying and thinking about the subject of being thankful. Various thoughts were swirling through my mind, like the wind with which I was contending. I thought of how often, at this particular time of year, I am asked questions such as “Can you tell me one thing you’re thankful for?” or “What was your best Thanksgiving?” But another question flashed through my mind: why is it that the word “thankful” seems to be an annual event rather than a constant “staple” in our vocabulary and life?
This question was generated by a Scripture passage on which I have been meditating. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul writes: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
Verse 2 is quite startling if you think about it. Paul is telling his beloved fellow believers that they were always in his thoughts and that he is thankful for them –wait for it—always! Always thankful? How could Paul in both heart and mind “always be thankful” for each particular person in this little congregation and beyond? I had to know the answer.
Then I found that the words “always” and “thankful” are associated with God and revolve around a prayer life that is filled with gratitude for God and His people. These two words loom large because it seems that “always” and “thankful” can be very elusive and slippery terms when it comes to being grateful, particularly for each specific person God has sovereignly placed into our lives. This left me with at least three questions to ask myself, and that, perhaps, in turn, may help you to be grateful for the people God has put in your life.
- When I pray, do I“always” give thanks to God and do I “constantly” mention people whom He has put in my life by name? This can be a life-defining concept if we let it. Think of it. When Paul says “always”, it means he keeps on being grateful; it’s not something occasional or sporadic but constant. This is higher plane thinking. I must confess that I have not been as “constant” as I would like to be. But here is something that I have found in my own life. When I am not praying for others, I am thinking of them less and thinking of myself more. And if I am thinking of them less, my sense of gratitude is not what it ought to be.
- When I pray, do I also verbally express appreciation to the people He has put into my life?
Paul not only thanked God, but he also was unafraid to mention his appreciation to the ones for whom he was praying. Could it be that when we are not appreciative of others, it may be a sign that our prayer life is lacking? The adornment of appreciation of others is not meant for just a few but for each person that God has put before us. Paul did use the word “all”, which included every single believer, no matter how unlikely.
In the real world, however, how can we pray with gratefulness toward a believer for whom we do not feel appreciation or gratitude? We can begin by realizing that God is at work in each of their lives and that their progress may not readily seem apparent to us. Thank God for His unseen work in their lives and realize, in humility, that God’s work in our own life may not always be evident to others.
How specific am I in remembering each person that God has placed before me? Do I tell them specifically how I appreciate them? When I am thoughtful about this, my praise toward God has a tendency to increase.
- When I pray, do I“remember” what God is doing in His chosen peoples’ lives and express thankfulness?
I know, it is sometimes difficult to “remember” or even to “know” what God is doing in the lives of others, but I have found that a thankful, consistent prayer life forces my memory to contemplate those belonging to Christ.
Verse 3 can help us to develop a heart of gratitude and to cultivate the habit of praying with a tender heart of thankfulness for others. Paul states three virtues in the life of the believer: the work of faith, the labor of love and the steadfastness of hope. We can use these qualities to pray for and to commend each other verbally. I would like to end these thoughts by using these virtues as a means of not only being thankful for each person in our lives but also that each one might, in turn, increase in gratefulness toward God and others.
“Lord, I thank you for my brothers/sisters in Christ, and I pray that the faith You bestowed upon them will be evidenced by the fruit that only You can produce in their lives which gives assurance to them as well as a testimony to You and toward others. I also pray that, as they actively labor for You and one another, that this energy is motivated out of love for the One who first loved them when they were not lovable. May their love be properly motivated to ensure they will endure when they become tired and fatigued by desperate conditions. Help them to keep their focus on the hope of Christ and His return so that they will remain faithful while they await that ultimate and final return. Assist them now, through the power of the heavenly Father and the finished work of Christ, to be grateful for each person in their life knowing that what was begun in them will be completed in the end. May their life be filled with eternal gratefulness to You and one another. Amen.”
Pastor Joe Rostollan