Keep giving thanks

 In the context of a volatile world, where daily circumstances and struggles bring our spirits down with the certainty of gravity, we hear what Paul wrote (1 Thess 5:16-19): "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit." 

I'm challenged again by so many believers living in a context right now where giving thanks for them seems innordinately harder than it is for me. So why do I find it so hard, and why does Paul prioritise it as a sign of my spiritual health, God's living work in my life?

I had the privilege of spending quality time with a creative, cultured entrepreneur who had given employment to many people as he'd built a market-leading business under "Booming Britain".  When he started, positive risk was rewarded, and now he had some of those rewards coming out of his ears, including the accolades of others, the house which featured in the period magazine, the cars and toys which got to be written off as business expenses/tax benefits. But times were changing. Banks, once generous, now clamped down on leverage. Workers, once grateful for the career he gave, jumped for higher pay with close competitors. Once he awoke early with a spring in his step to serve a family business. He wanted to leave it to the next generation, but now all he saw were spiralling overheads, the liability and pressure of survival; providing jobs for others, the dependency of many families on his solutions to a growing issue. His health, own family relationships and sleep were under great strain and pressure. Those closest wondered if he would ever recover. He was a follower of Jesus Christ. 

I asked him what he would've told a younger version of himself. His answer: "Remain positive in the hardest of times. There are things of much greater value than money, much more treasurable than reputation, more desirable than a dream achieved. These we must keep thankful for." He did survive; the business did not. His family were more grateful for him at home than a business for him to go to. The future days were more spiritually productive than the ones previously, family life happier, more honest, committed, and loving. 

We live in an age where currency exchanges are skewed and what is to be truly valued is not in focus. I've said many times on here that the attitude of gratitude marks many a Christian who remains increasingly fruitful. This is especially true as we get older. This broken world and our broken bodies mean that the reality of our struggles is often mounting and cumulative as we head towards being with Christ. Paul sees the simple Macro picture with Spirit-given clarity: all of life is lived in the context of being with Christ, forever. He is not simplistic (12-15); in fact, he is hyper-realistic and diagnostic about the mounting struggles of life, especially of churches under opposition, persecution and oppression, the reality of church life. For many of us, Western comfort makes this a hard reality to understand. I hazard a guess, though, that if you are waking up in Northern Nepal today, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Iran,  Israel... and many, many other locations, you are finding things to thank God for. 

6 things, good and healthy to thank God for today. 

1) He is unchangeable; His faithfulness remains even when we are not. 

2) His mercy is new every morning; His heart is towards us. 

3) His cross and resurrection preach the certainty of our future to us. Nothing happens outside of his sovereignty; nothing can defeat his purposes. 

4) If we have Christian friends who speak the truth in love, we are privileged people. We may have no family; the church may be meeting in secret, but we are not alone. He is with us, and he has provided encouragement. 

5) If our bodies are moving at all and able to exercise, we are privileged. Yes, some parts don't work as they should; some give us concern; some have irreversibly failed, but any exercise is healthy/ good for us, no? 

A walk in creation, a stroke of the pet, a conversation with another human created by God, a working dietary system, a tear duct that works, a mouth that can smile and laugh, eyes that can see and maybe even read, ears which listen to birdsong, music, life, are all reminders that we are fearfully and wonderfully made even in our fallen, pre-glorification state. 

• Fuel is expensive, but maybe you have some. 
• Water has become a thing you are charged for, but do you have access to some to drink today?
• Your home has become expensive to keep; your residential care is taking all you built up in life, but do you have a warm and dry place to sleep? Do you have someone who is caring for your well-being?

6) If we can open God's word and meditate on it, we see increasing riches that surpass the list above, not only in what He says, but in who He is, and who we will be with for eternity. For many with terminal illness or cognitive illness, reading is the thing they miss most. However, my own testimony and that of many others is that when times are hard, and reading is impossible, THE LORD knows and finds ways of reminding your mind (and heart) of truth once learned, to a deeper degree of reality and with greater love. If you are able today, open His word and invest/ store up the truth banks for later thankfulness. 

Make your own list of thankfulness. Out of it, pray the same for others. As you become more aware of your privileges in Christ, walk in what the Spirit has for you, a heart in tune with His, and a passion for purposes greater than the temporary and seen.