Gratitude As A Character Trait

We have just finished up with our Easter season. During Holy Week, we reflected on all that Jesus did for us. And we can’t help but to go away with gratitude, being thankful for Jesus doing so much for us. So, I thought I would look into the book of 1 Thessalonians and see what the Bible and the Apostle Paul has to say about living with a consistent attitude of gratitude.

When I was in the first grade, ButterKrust bakery used to be downtown. We took a field trip there that year. And I can still specifically remember the process that they went through to make bread. It smelled so good. But one thing I remember is the last step of that tour we watched the loaves of bread make their way down a conveyor belt through the oven.

I think about the conveyor belts in our factories and it reminds me of the Christian life as we’re moved along in our growth to become equipped by Christ. We’re conveyed, so to speak, through a variety of experiences in life. We meet many challenges along the way. But no matter where life takes us, as Christians, we should have one trait that is always riding along with us, and that trait is gratitude.

Now, I must say right up front that gratitude is more than a simple “thank you.” Gratitude should be a way of living. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Thessalonians and in that writing, you can tell that he understood that if this ingredient of gratitude is a vital ingredient in our every day lives, it will transform our lives and our church. God not only wants us to be a church that is thankful, but He wants us to have gratitude as an important part of our everyday lives.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was one of his earliest letters that he wrote. His ministry in Thessalonica wasn’t very long and the church now had questions and concerns over what would happen to those who had recently died. That led to more questions about the return of Christ. Keep in mind that persecution was still an everyday issue in the city, so fear filled the hearts of some. Every chapter in 1 Thessalonians references the return of Christ and so the book, as a whole, points to how believers are to live in the hope of Christ’s return.

Read 1 Thess. 5:12. As Paul gets close to the end of this letter he wrote in v. 11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” Then in verse 12 he points to one way we can offer encouragement and that is to express to leaders in the church.

Now Paul’s words mean more that simply paying the church leaders more attention than you normally would on a Sunday morning. The word Paul uses means more about appreciating their true worth and then showing your appreciation of them with an understanding of the sacrificial nature of what they do.

So, Paul’s challenge was a clear one: honor those who are serving Christ by leading His church. Now, as I say that, some of us may think back to the time we disagreed with a decision made by the church leadership. We may have felt that the leaders made a mistake. It’s happened more than you realize.

Or maybe the pastor wasn’t meeting our expectations one way or another. But you see, the Holy Spirit isn’t asking us to honor leaders because they’re 100% agreeable to our tastes or because they’re perfect, because neither one of those will ever be. Nor is the Holy Spirit asking us to honor a pastor simply because he carries the title but doesn’t display the example of Christ.

The Spirit is calling us to practice loving submission to our leaders out of submission to Christ and to the authority he has given the church leaders. He’s calling us to recognize with respect the sacrificial way leaders carry out their calling. Christ is calling us to set aside our personal preferences and replace them with grace-filled expressions of love for those who serve.

For added emphasis to verse 12, Paul adds in verse 13, READ. Paul’s aim for us is to “be at peace among yourselves.” In most any church, any church where people are involved that is, if not handled well, disagreements between leaders and the congregation can divide a church. They can be destructive.

And disagreements can be so petty. A church that had a vibrant ministry and was having a powerful impact on their community. But then, a disagreement began to form. While it seemed small and insignificant at first, it grew and grew until the church was sharply divided. When it was apparent that this issue could not be solved in a manner that would be suitable to everyone, half of the congregation left to form their own church. Today, while both churches still exist, neither has the outreach ministry that they did before.