The Power of Thankful Living
John 6:1-14
I Thessalonians 5:18
You can experience the Power of Thankful Living when you live your life according to what Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:18, “…in everything give thanks.” Thankful living brings out the best in people. Thankful living leads to a life of purpose and significance.
In 2003, Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, two Psychology professors conducted a simple experiment. They recruited three groups of people at random to focus on one of three things for a week. Group A focused on everything that went wrong or was irritating, such as “The battery went dead in my car,” or “That person cut in line in front of me at Target.” Group B focused on things that blessed and things that enhanced their lives. “People are friendly in my neighborhood.” “People who work with me are the greatest.” “Group C just remembered events. “I went shopping today.” “I washed the car today.” “I cleaned the house today.”
After the week was up the participants were asked how they felt about their week. By far the group that responded with the greatest enthusiasm and was most positive about the week was the one that focused on gratitude. The group that focused on the blessings of life was more optimistic about life in general and was more likely to help others than those in the other two groups.
Sometimes a positive word has its reward. Years ago when we lived in Florida I was flying and had a stop in Atlanta. I had to change planes and since my seat assignment was near the back of the plane I went to the desk and inquired about getting a seat closer to the front of the plane. I address the young man as “Sir, do you have any seats closer to the front of the plane.” He looked at me and said, “Why did you call me “Sir,” that makes me feel old. I said, “No I called you “Sir” out of respect and besides I also like you tie.”
He said, “Let me check and see if I can find you a seat closer to the front of the plane.” He checked his computer and then said, “I found one. Here is your seat closer to the front. I put you in first class. Anyone who pays me respect and likes my tie deserves to ride first class.”
The Apostle John tells about a young boy that played a significant role in the life and ministry of Jesus. This young boy probably grew up in a Jewish home where his parents taught him the Torah until he was seven and then he began his formal education in the synagogue schools.
For three years he studied the rudiments of the Book of the Law as it was recorded in the Hebrew tongue. For the following three years he studied in the advanced school and committed to memory, by the method of repeating aloud, the deeper teachings of the sacred law. He graduated from this school of the synagogue during his thirteenth year and was turned over to his parents by the synagogue rulers as an educated "son of the commandment.”
At the synagogue school pupils sat on the floor in a semicircle, while their teacher, the chazzan, an officer of the synagogue, sat facing them. Beginning with the Book of Leviticus, they passed on to the study of the other books of the law, followed by the study of the Prophets and the Psalms. The synagogue possessed a complete copy of the Scriptures in Hebrew. Nothing but the Scriptures was studied prior to the twelfth year. In the summer months the hours for school were greatly shortened.
These synagogue schools, had no textbooks. In teaching, the chazzan would utter a statement while the pupils would in unison repeat it after him. When having access to the written books of the law, the student learned his lesson by reading aloud and by constant repetition.
At the age of 12 the boy probably participated in his Bar mitzvah. To celebrate his Mar mitzvah the boy’s parents allowed him to travel to the gathering where Jesus was teaching near the Sea of Galilee.
The boy was from a poor family so he took five loaves made of barley. Barley loaves were coarse bread eaten by the poor. The boy was planning on using one loaf for himself and selling the other loaves to make extra spending money. The two fish he had were probably sardine size fish either pickled or dried. He had has loaves and fishes spread out to sell, but no one was buying.
The boy was captivated by the teachings of Jesus and was amazed to see sick people healed. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saw the young boy with his loaves of barley loaves and two small fish.
John 6:1-14 Jesus looked out at the mass of people walking on the hillside and turned to Philip and asks, “Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” Philip answered that it would take a small fortune equal to the wages of 200 people working all day to feed the people. But even if they had the money it was late and all the farm markets were closed.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother overhead the conversation and spoke up: “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” Philip went to the young boy and told asked him if he would give his loaves and fishes to Jesus and the boy gladly gave Jesus all he had.
Jesus had the mass of people sit down and after blessing the loaves and fish. He broke off pieces of fish and bread and gave the pieces to his disciples and them in turn handed the food out to the crowd that numbered 5,000 men plus women and children. After everyone had eaten there were 12 baskets of food left over.
Can you imagine the story that young boy had to tell his parents when he arrived back home. They probably wouldn’t have believed him but for his sharing Philip probably gave him one of the full baskets of left over loaves and fish to share with the rest of his family.
By this young boy demonstrating his act of kindness, sharing what he had, he became a coworker with Jesus is blessing 5,000 plus people. Your little becomes much when you give what you have to Jesus.
People who live thankful lives are willing to share what they have in acts of kindness.
I. Acts of Kindness
You do acts of kindness when you do something for someone with no strings attached or expecting anything in return.
The young boy gave his loaves and fishes to Jesus without requiring any conditions for his gift.
Throughout his life and ministry Jesus went about helping people. Jesus said he came to serve and not be served.
We need to be constantly on the lookout for ways to show God’s love in small ways. Monday evening on my way home I stopped at Target to pick up a few items. I didn’t have many items in my cart and as I arrived at the checkout a young pregnant mother arrived at the same time. I told her she could go in front of me, but she insisted that I go since I didn’t have that many items.
As I was checking out I looked at the young pregnant mother and God seemed to speak to me and say show her kindness by paying for her items. So after paying for my things I told the young lady that I appreciated her being thoughtful and allowing me to go first so I was showing God’s love by paying for her items. I put my Target card in and paid for her items. She smiled and thanked me several times for helping her out. With a young baby on the way I know she’ll have extra expenses. I’ll know the cost when I get my bill.
The scripture admonishes us to “Encourage one another and build each other up.” I Thessalonians 5:11
Thanksgiving is a reminder to live a life of thankfulness and do all we can to help others.
Rudyard Kipling was a best selling English author at the turn of the century. He wrote the well-known children’s book, The Jungle Book. His poem, “Gunga Den” is also a classic. Kipling became wealthy from his writing.
A newspaper reporter came up to him one time and said, “Mr. Kipling, I recently read that someone calculated that the money you made from your writings amounted to $100 a word.”
Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly was not aware of that.” The reporter reached into his pocket, pulled out a $100 bill, gave it to Kipling and said, “Here is a $100 bill. Now give me one of your $100 words.
Rudyard Kipling looked at the $100 bill for a moment, took it, folded it up, put it in his pocket and simply said, “Thanks.” “Well, I would say to you that the word “thanks” is certainly a $100 word. That is one word that is too seldom heard, too rarely spoken, and too often forgotten.”
Jesus put a high priority on helping to meet the needs of hurting people. Matthew 25:35-36 Jesus taught that when you feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, give hospitality to the poor, clothing to those on need, care for the sick and visit people in prison you are serving as the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.
All of us can show the love of Jesus in practical ways. Several years ago we handed out 500 light bulbs in the community with a note saying that - “Jesus is the Light of the World.” We were giving out a free light bulb with no strings attached.
As Christ followers we should be the best tippers at restaurants by giving 15- 20 percent of the cost of our meals.
When you do acts of kindness for others you are showing the grace and love of God. God has given us His love and grace though we don’t deserve it. Grace is what we received though we haven’t earned it.
The thief on the cross turned to Jesus and asked for His help and Jesus gave him grace – “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
The boy gave Jesus what he had, five barley loaves and 2 fish. God expects you to use what you have to live life to the fullest.
Chuck Adams was paralyzed from the waist down from a birth defect. Chuck became a successful businessman working form his wheelchair. He said, “I am grateful for what I have. I have the ability to figure things out. I have a bottomless reservoir of resiliency of strength. I have learned to let go of the things I have no control over.”
Jesus taught that thankful living should be our primary concern. Selfish people worry about making sure their own needs are met first. Jesus said, “Why be like unbelievers who are so deeply concerned about these things (having enough food to eat and clothes to wear)? You heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern?” Matthew 6:32-33
When the Spirit of God prompts you to do an act of kindness for someone, go ahead and do it. Don’t hid your Christian life under a basket let it shine.
There is power in thankful living as you do acts of kindness to show God’s love to others.
II. Give Encouraging Words
There is power in thankful living as you give encouraging words to others. I Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” In your everyday walk of life you have opportunities to give encouraging words. Proverbs 25:11 – “A word apply spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
The opposite of encouraging words is gossip and negative, hurtful words that put people down. Why is it that some people constantly make critical comments about other people? It may be like Virginia Arcastle once wrote: “When other people are made to feel important and appreciated, it will no longer be necessary for them to whittle others down in order to be seen bigger by comparison.”
A person living a life of thankfulness learns to focus on what’s good and right about life and not focus on what wrong with people, places and things.
I’ve heard this story from several sources. There were parents with twin sons. One son was an confirmed pessimist and the incurable optimist. The parents worried that each had a distorted view of life. They went to a counselor for help. He said, “I think you can help your boys this Christmas by giving them different gifts. Give the pessimist son the best Christmas gift your can think of. He will feel good about it and be cured. But, for the optimist, you must give only a room full of manure. He won’t be able to see anything good in that, and he will be cured.
So on Christmas morning the parents gave the pessimist a wonderful and expensive gift and he whined: “I don’t like this. This isn’t the right color. This is not what I wanted.” But in the other room the optimist was yelling with joy, throwing the manure up in the air and shouting. “You can’t fool me. You can’t fool me. With all this manure, there has to be a pony in here somewhere!”
Jesus saw something good in every person and situation. He saw something good in the scarred life of Mary Magdalene. He saw potential in the worldly Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Jesus saw honesty and integrity beneath the façade of Zaccheus a tax collector.
The writer of Proverbs calls a person who gossips a “Whisperer.” Proverbs 16:28, “A whisperer separates the best of friends.” KJV “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” NIV
Critical remarks that put people down are out of place in a loving and caring relationship. Jesus commanded that we are not to judge others. “Don’t criticize people, and you will not be criticized. For you will be judged by the way you criticize others, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.” Matthew 7:1-2
We tend to be tolerant of our own shortcomings, but very critical of the faults of others. We are quick to judge others. It could be that because of mental meningitis people gossip because it ministers to their pride. It takes some of the sting out of their own failures if they can rub off the glitter of someone else’s crown.
Here are five simple suggestions to help you give encouraging words to others:
1. Show a genuine interest in other people.
2. Do not criticize anybody about anything. When you criticize a person you immediately set up a defense mechanism against him.
3. Do your work and forget about who gets the credit.
4. Meet criticism from others with a smile and good will, and reach out with love and forgiveness.
5. Learn to get along with yourself. More often than not, conflicts between others and us spring from a conflict within.
King David admonishes us to say encouraging words when he writes: Psalm 15:1-3
“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”
In the Royal Gallery in London, there is a portrait of himself by Salvatora Rosa. In his right hand he holds a placard on which are written Latin these words: “Either keep silence, or speak things better than silence.”
An anonymous writer has penned:
“If you are tempted to reveal
A tale someone to you has told
About another, make it pass,
Before you speak, three gates of gold-
Three narrow gates: first, “Is It True?’
Second, “Is it Needful?” In your mind
give a truthful answer. And the next is last
and narrowest: “Is It Kind?” And if, to reach
your lips at last, it passes through these gateways
three, Then you may tell the tale, nor fear
What the result of speech may be.”
If you must gossip, gossip about the Love of God. If you need to whisper, whisper the good news about Jesus. The Psalmist sang out in Psalm 34:1, “I will praise the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips.”
You will experience the power of thankful living as you do simple acts of kindness showing God’s love and give your life to building up people. Become a bridge builder not one who tears down bridges and puts down others.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting.” PS. 118:1
Closing prayer of thanksgiving
