Thanks . . .Giving
Pt. 2 - Graduated Thanks
I. Introduction
?Last week we talked about moving from thankskeeping to thanks giving. We do this by targeted thanks. Making sure we target God and the people He uses in our life with expressed, articulated thanks. This so that we live up to the challenge to be the most thank full people on the planet. However, if we are not diligent and disciplined targeted thanks can quickly and unconsciously become seasonal thanks. Thanks only practiced when reminded. Only acted upon occasionally. That is why I want to also challenge you to move further on this journey towards maturity and get to graduated thanks. This is an entirely different level of thanks. This is the point at which we move beyond thanks giving and begin to practice thanks living! This is captured in the gauntlet throw down by Paul to the Thessalonians.
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
(NIV) Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(Message) Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
Those 3 verses represent the pinnacle of graduated thanks. Paul assures us that this is how Jesus Himself wants us to live.
The NIV says this is God’s will for us. It has occurred to me that there is a lot of talk about and pursuit of God’s will for our life. It seems that we are all on the passionate pursuit of knowing God’s will. Trying this, trying that, fasting, asking for opinions, seeking counsel. And all the time His will for our lives is already clearly spelled out. His will is that to graduate in our thanks.
I am not one to always look for formulas but I believe the Lord dropped this little formula into my heart. This is the formula we must master to graduate. I think there is a progression here. We will learn to practice thanksgiving if we walk through this progression.
A. Outlook
Paul’s first instruction deals with our outlook. He says rejoice always. Or as the Message puts it “Be cheerful no matter what”. I am convinced that most of us will struggle to get to thanksliving simply because we don’t address this first instruction. Paul is adamant that our outlook will directly effect the other two steps. We have got to come to the level of maturity where our life is marked by rejoicing or cheerfulness. I think Paul understood that there is power in joy. If we know our strength is founded and rooted in joy, then why is that we struggle so mightily to rejoice or be cheerful? Could it be that we have allowed the external to determine the internal? Take a moment and evaluate your rejoice and cheerful level? Would anyone say that describes you? Or would they say you are sullen, cranky, downcast, or overcast? Paul was big on rejoicing. In Philippians he repeats this same formula almost verbatim to an entirely different audience and in this passage he doubles down on rejoicing.
Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord and I will say it again rejoice!
Perhaps we would be able to be more marked by thanks if we were first marked by rejoicing. To rejoice you have to have outward focus and adjust your sight to what is right rather than what is wrong!
Any rejoicers in the house today? Is your outlook setting you up for thanksliving?
B. In Look
The second step in this progression deals with your in look. How can you graduate to thankful living if you don’t also do what Paul says here . . . Pray always? Pray continually. In Philippians . . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Or in the Message - Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Paul is challenging us to move to a different in look. If we are not careful, we often mistake worry for prayer. Paul says to pray. Prayer simply reminds us that we are not alone. We have someOne working on our behalf. SomeOne with power, provision, protection, and our best interest in mind. In fact, Paul states that there is a war going on in the inside of you. Worry is an invading force that only Jesus can overthrow. Through prayer Jesus dethrones worry and the result is thankfulness.
If our outlook is right but our in look is focused on our ability, our work, our positioning, our power then we will never be able to live thankfully because we will be disappointed, distracted and defeated.
My question for us is this . . . Could it be that we lack the ability to live thankfully because we lack the ability to pray continually? I am convinced that to graduate in thanks we must learn to have a constant and consistent dialogue going on in our inner man. Washing dishes . . . Praying. Mowing . . . Praying. Talking to fellow employee . . . Praying. Dealing with kids . . . Praying. Driving . . . Praying. Listening to a preacher . . . Praying. Preaching . . . Praying. We can’t designate “Prayer times” and let ourselves fail to develop a constant prayer life.
C. Up Look
This final step is our goal. This is the epitome of thanksliving.
Give thanks in all circumstances. Give thanks no matter what happens.
That is a tall order. That is tough stuff. That seems impossible. The car breaks down but give thanks? The kids disobey but give thanks? The spouse disappoints but give thanks? Death stings but give thanks? Sickness strikes but give thanks?
May I suggest that this level in not only possible but according to Paul it is God’s will for how we live. Then why don’t we get there? Answer with a question . . . Do you get your high school diploma without completing kindergarten first? This is a progression. Rejoice (outlook). Pray (in look). Then the result of those two things is an up look which is not effected by the outward circumstances of life. When everything goes wrong if I have mastered rejoicing and praying, then suddenly my heart is so full of thanks that I live thankful. I can face the worst that life can throw at me and remain thankful because my eyes are fixed. My heart is fixed. My hope is fixed. My spirit is fixed. In Philippians, Paul goes on to explain how this works. He says when we rejoice and then pray that the peace of God sets up a guard on our heart and our mind. That is how you graduate to thanksliving. Your rejoicing and prayer cause the peace of God to take up sentry positions over your heart and mind. Your heart protected by peace refuses to become troubled. Your mind protected by peace refuses to run wild. We learn to give thanks to God in all things . . . Though He slay me yet will I trust Him! How is that possible? Graduated thanks! We matriculate to the point that what is going on around us has no bearing or impact on what is going on in us.
We have some graduates here today! People that have gone through what would have set us back. They are role models for us. Living proof that this level of living is possible and we something for which we must continue to push.
I challenge you today . . . Participate in thanks giving but push to graduate into thanksliving!
