A few days ago I woke up in a foul mood. I’d gone to bed the night before thinking about something that was bothering me. I like to fix things, but this isn’t a problem I can solve, and it’s one I have little control over. (I might have a teeny tiny control problem). So when I woke up, I immediately picked up where I had dozed off, which meant rehearsing the problem in my head umpteen times. By the time I finished my first cup of coffee I could feel my irritation rising like steam. I knew I was perilously close to forfeiting a perfectly good day for a bad mood.
My Bible reading that morning took me to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It’s God’s will for us to be thankful.”
As soon as I read that passage I knew I’d shifted my focus off the countless ways God has blessed me to meditate on one annoying circumstance.
How foolish is that?
Paul commands us to give thanks in all circumstances for at least two reasons:
- For a Christ follower, gratitude is the only appropriate response. We are the most blessed people on the planet. Christ has forgiven and redeemed our past. (1 John 2:12) He is present in our current circumstances. (Hebrews 13:5) He has secured our eternal future. (1 Peter 1:3-4). And we don’t have to wait to get to heaven to enjoy Him. We can enjoy Him now. (John 15:5) When we are mindful of all that we have in Christ, we will be the most grateful people in the world.
- Gratitude Shifts Our Focus. Being thankful shifts our mental focus to what we have and not what we lack. The truth is, we are far more blessed than we realize. Did you wake up this morning? Not everyone who went to bed last night woke up to live another day. Tired of your work? Imagine yourself unemployed. Irritated because you have to walk the dog? Millions of amputees wish they could. Are you complaining because it’s time to clean your house? Take a drive down to the homeless shelter. People who are chronic complainers really are demonstrating a lack of gratitude because there is always something to be thankful for.
Obviously, I can’t promise you that you’ll always be able to avoid a bad mood. But, I can promise you, that if you’ll shift your focus away from what you lack and onto your blessings, and give thanks for them, you’ll have far more good days than bad.
