The ABCs of Thanks

The ABC's of Thanks
November 8, 2020

What a week! I guess 2020 is staying true to form. You know, it would be easy and understandable if we allowed the headlines to capture our attention, steal our focus, and dictate our mood. With the seemingly endless uncertainty, division, rioting…it can feel overwhelming. Then add the increasing COVID numbers, ever-changing and confusing guidelines and metrics. There’s just so much stress! Something’s gotta give!

Science tells us that the mind reacts to bad things more quickly, strongly, and persistently than to equivalent good things. Negative emotions generally involve more thinking, and the information attached to them is processed more thoroughly than positive emotions and information. By default, we tend to think more about unpleasant events — and use stronger words to describe them — than happy ones. In order to counteract the power of negative events, experiences or emotions, studies have shown that we need five positives. That’s a lot of compensating! It means that in order to maintain a healthy perspective we must be intentional about where we choose to focus our attention.

Philippians 4:8 says, “…fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
In Colossians 3:1 we read, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Fixing and setting are action words. We won’t accidentally have a positive mindset! God’s Word instructs us to actively choose what we will think about. But it’s up to us to make the choice!

This week, we’re beginning a short sermon series called, “Thanks!” For the next three weeks, we’ll be taking a look at what it means to be grateful, in both good times and hard ones, regardless of our circumstances. Learning to cultivate gratitude is a powerful discipline. Will you join me as we unpack what the Bible has to say about being thankful?