Give thanks for thanks
Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18, CEB
It's the week after Thanksgiving. I decided to do the least clever thing possible this week and talk about gratitude in our Sunday morning service.
I'll be honest- gratitude isn't my favorite topic. I'm not a naturally grateful person. Now- I'm also not an ungrateful person. But I don't really have gratitude practices and it always seems trite to me to suggest them. I think of people who are really hurting and I think to myself, I couldn't possibly suggest that they practice gratitude. That would be insensitive. It seems a bit like kicking someone when they're down to suggest they do something that I know is going to be nearly impossible in this moment.
I don't have a neat outline for this post- but perhaps my first point is something like this: It might be a good idea to be discerning about when you suggest gratitude to someone else.
Point two might be something like this: Start gratitude practices when you're not in the middle of a crisis or a particularly low moment. It'll be easier- gratitude will be closer at hand.
Now- let's talk about this passage for a moment. People talk about this passage as if it says Give thanks for every situation. Guess what- it doesn't say that. It says give thanks in every situation.
What's the difference?
In vs. for is a big difference here. "For" implies you need to be grateful for anything that happens to you. "In" implies finding gratitude regardless of the circumstances, meaning you could find gratitude for something other than what is happening to you.
I see no reason to believe you need to be grateful for horrific things that have happened to you or that were done to you. But, God seems to think there is a benefit to finding some positive to bring to mind even when you're hurting. This doesn't mean that you need to overlook or ignore the harm that's done and it doesn't mean you use the positive to push down or squeeze out or "stuff" the struggle. It just means we learn to do two things at once.
The question is- how do we do this? And I'll make that my question for you. How do you find gratitude in the midst of struggle? What are your tips, tricks, or suggestions?
Feel free to share these in our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/NorthstarCommunity/) Other people might benefit from your wisdom.
