“When joy and prayer are married, their first born child is gratitude.”

• Charles Spurgeon

I have noticed recently that gratitude is much more difficult to experience than we often recognize. It is quite easy to complain and point out all the terrible circumstances in life, but 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

How do we reckon with these seemingly diverging sentiments?

The answer isn’t easy. The call of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 takes great trust and dependence on God as the Sovereign God who holds all things and works all things together for good – whether we presently perceive that or not. It is His will that we do these things constantly – rejoice, pray, give thanks. 

The command to rejoice always does not mean only in good circumstances, but also in sorrows. That statement stings. It is not natural nor comfortable to be glad and give God praise in the hard and most desperate times of life. It is natural to despair and complain about what we think God should be doing in our lives instead. However, the reason it is possible to rejoice even in the midst of sorrows is because the joy of the Christian is not found in circumstances but in the God who is in control of those circumstances. As circumstances change all the time, God never changes. He remains constant through every up and down. This is why constant communion with Christ is key – it keeps us focused on the truth of His consistency rather than the inconsistent circumstances of life.

It is imperative that we look at life and the circumstances we face in the perspective of eternity – I know I have struggled in this area lately. It is easy to forget about all that God does and all there is to be grateful for in the midst of lots of stress, especially during the holidays. We often become so focused on preparing food and buying presents that we forget the reason we gather together and give to each other in the first place. This leads us to become focused on temporary things which never fully satisfy instead of the God who is our complete satisfaction. Instead, we must realize that God sees the full picture of life and knows far better than us of what is best for us. This is difficult though as we cannot fully understand God and His ways; therefore, we must lean on Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I think gratefulness comes in truly understanding who God is and what He has done for us. It requires us to take our eyes off the present moment and fix our eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-3). Sometimes that will take more effort than other times, but it is imperative that we do so. 

If we are focused on Christ, the likelihood of experiencing joy increases as we have devoted ourselves to the One who is our joy. If we are focused on Christ, we will seek Him more, want what He wants, and commune with Him to determine what His will is. If we are focused on Christ, we will praise Him for who He is and what He has done, because we know He never changes and continues to be who He has always said He would be.

Quote and Bible notes from David Guzik’s Blue Letter Bible Study Guide for 1 Thessalonians 5: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-1Th/1Th-5.cfm

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