The Gratitude Loop - Week 1 - 11/03/24

The Gratitude Loop - Week 1

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest letters. He had visited the important city during his second missionary journey but was run out of the city because of opposition from some of the Jews.  Those same rioters would follow him to Berea and cause trouble there as well. Paul would send Timothy to work in Thessalonica to teach and lead the new believers in the fledgling church. Paul was encouraging the new believers with this letter as well as exhorting them to godly living.

In his closing remarks he writes what some have deemed the “standing orders of the church.” Rejoice, pray, give thanks. In this closing statement, Paul leaves no ambiguity, no room for debate. The orders have been issued, and the expectation to follow them has been set. This is where we will start the gratitude loop.

Rejoice

Philippians 4:4 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Every one of these orders, starting with rejoicing, revolve around the person and character of God, not the individual circumstance of the reader. They are to be constant regardless of circumstances. The follower of Christ is called to rejoice in Christ, not only in circumstances.

Rejoice is the verb form of joy. It means to show or feel great joy. Joy is a fruit of the spirit, not of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16–20 “16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,”

‌Galatians 5:21–26 “21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Happiness can be derived from experiences and circumstances and can be obtained outside of God. Real joy in all circumstances that is expressed as rejoicing is only found as a byproduct or fruit of our relationship with God. The fruit of knowing God is joy and is expressed through rejoicing in him.

Psalm 31:7 “7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,”

‌King David writes that he rejoices in the love of God, which he knows through his relationship with him. David’s life is not void of trouble, but he can rejoice that the one whose love and faithfulness is permanent is on his side.

‌The fruit you are reaping is a direct result of what is being planted. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not of the flesh.

Pray without ceasing.

This idea of prayer that Paul is espousing is greater than the continual recitation of words. J.B Lightfoot wrote, “It is not in the moving of lips but the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists.”

‌Where do my thoughts go when things are good? Where do my thoughts go when things are bad? Where do my thoughts go when I need help? Where do my thoughts go when I can fix it?

‌Ephesians 6:14–18 “14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”

‌If rejoicing comes from the fruit of joy, then joy is the fruit that comes from keeping our thoughts centered on the person of Christ. You may not be able to control whether a thought comes in, but you can control how far it goes. This constant attitude of prayer is the mental and emotional blockade against anxiousness.

Philippians 4:4–6 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

With joy because of our relationship with Christ, we are able to constantly pray and request his presence and power, elevating Christ above our current needs as the answer to what is needed. In that constant state of prayer, Paul promises the opposite of anxiety - peace.

‌The idea of praying without ceasing is bringing everything into the presence of God. 

When one is truly in love with another, there is an unceasing awareness of the other. This does not mean that one is consciously engaged in thinking of the other, but the “presence” of the other is constant. All decisions are made with the beloved in mind. All of life is oriented around this great love. Gary W. Demarest and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, 1, 2 Thessalonians / 1, 2 Timothy / Titus, vol. 32, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1984), 98.

‌We make no considerations without first the consideration of Christ.

Give thanks in all circumstances.

This is a gratitude for who Christ is and what he has done for us. This idea of gratitude is based on the fact that God is good to us. In Christ we have been guaranteed the favor of God, and he is indeed working all things out for our good.  Gratitude is the result of the belief that God is good and does good towards me.

Genesis 50:20 “20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

In the parable of the talents, it was obvious that the servant who received one talent did not believe that the master was inherently good and used it as an excuse to be ungrateful and unproductive.

‌This is first step in the loop. As a fruit of my relationship with Christ, I have and express joy while elevating all of my day into his presence, where I am grateful that he is good and working out good things for me. This constant state of thankfulness motivates the follower of Christ to production.