Rejoice and be thankful always

These days I have been very grumpy. The past week was like a nightmare to me. My computer crashed. I got a notice from the insurance company that I missed the deadline for paying the annual premium. I got a ticket for jumping the traffic light. My car engine stalled while I was on my way to an important meeting. And, I caught the winter chill. My cup of woes floweth over.

I felt that the whole world was conspiring against me. That God was conspiring against me. I became withdrawn. Morose. Grumpy. Till I saw him yesterday.

'Him' was a street urchin, a little boy begging in the street near where I live. He was hopping from car to car with a small broken bowl in his hand, begging for alms. Some passengers gave him a look of pity, some a look of disgust, while most ignored him as if he had suddenly turned invisible. I kept on observing. The boy did not give up. The reaction of the car passengers did not disappoint him. And, when the traffic light changed, he scampered off to a nearby construction yard and began playing and laughing on a heap of dump with his friends. As I proceeded homewards, this incident kept on haunting my mind. You see, it is not that I am not used to seeing beggars in India. But what really impressed me was the fact that although during that brief moment, the boy was turned away by one and all, yet he was rejoicing and he was happy. He, unlike me, was unaffected by the situation.

I thought and thought. I was angry. I felt God had betrayed me. Why was that boy happier than me, I wondered. I pored through the scriptures. I found the answer. I cried. I realized I was not living the life God wanted me to.

Christianity has a history of persecutions. Walking this path of faith is not easy. We encounter hardships and sufferings. We speak of Jesus and His love. We speak of the endurance of the early disciples who overcame everything, even death, to be one with the Lord and preach His Good News. But do we live the life?

When I think of hardships, the hardships Apostle Paul encountered come to my mind. Imprisoned, flogged, lashed, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked – Apostle Paul, like other apostles, was a 'spectacle,' ridiculed and made the 'scum' of the world. Apostle Paul lived a life on the edge and treaded in regions where dangers lurked in every corner: "[I have] been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." (2 Cor: 11:23–27) Yet, amazingly, Apostle Paul never lost his heart. Nothing, "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation" (Romans 8: 38–39) could separate him from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Apostle Paul was no superman. He was a human like us. Like any one of us, he felt pain, he had tears. He had his own weaknesses. Yet, Apostle Paul never let anything weigh him down. He never let any situation confine or suppress his spirit. Even when he was in prison, in chains himself, he wrote powerful letters to the believers, comforting them, encouraging them. What gave Apostle Paul this indomitable spirit, this eternal hope in Christ? It is that he rejoiced in the Lord and gave thanks in all situations.

Though Apostle Paul always lived a life, facing danger and death, yet, he is exhorting us, "Do not be anxious about anything" (Philippians 4:6). This is amazing. But Apostle Paul is not lying or boasting. He is telling us all to live a life that he lived, live a life without being confined to any situation.

Indeed, we should live a life, always rejoicing and being thankful. In all situations, we should reveal the love and grace of God. In all situations we should give thanksgiving to God.

The reason is simple. When we have a thankful heart, we have a peaceful heart; when we have a peaceful heart, we have a joyful heart; when we have a joyful heart, we have a graceful heart. Thankful => Peaceful => Joyful => Graceful.

What is being thankful? It means having always a positive state of mind. We should always think positive and be positive. When we have this positive attitude in our lives, we too will receive the strength and energy God gave Apostle Paul.

Human behavior is very infectious. If I am always positive and optimistic, the people around me will become optimistic and positive too. Likewise, the opposite holds true. If I am always pessimistic and have negative thoughts, the people around me will be pessimistic and have negative thoughts too. Take one instance. The Sun is shining. An optimistic person will think, "Oh, good. It is not raining today." A pessimistic person will think, "Oh, no. It is so hot today." Take another instance. It is raining. An optimistic person will think, "Oh good. It is not too warm today." A pessimistic person will think, "Oh, no. It is raining so much. I will definitely get wet and catch a cold." When we think and live positively, we give strength and energy and hope not only to ourselves but also to others. And, when we think and live negatively, we give weakness and despair not only to ourselves but also to others. Worrying will not add another day or hour in our lives. Life is not that bad. Reflect. There are many things we can be and should be thankful about. So think positive and be optimistic.

Being thankful also means being content. Like Apostle Paul, we should be content in all circumstances. God has blessed us all abundantly. Whether we are living in plenty or in want, whether we are well–fed or hungry, we should learn to be content in any and every situation. And, like Apostle Paul, we too should, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God so that we can do everything through Him who gives us strength.

Let us always guard our hearts and our minds so that we do not become confined in any situation or circumstance. Let us be the ones who can rejoice and give thanks to God in any and every situation and experience the power of positive thinking, experience the presence of God.