“Give thanks in all circumstances’ for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV)
“And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17 NIV)
This morning I’ve been thinking about negativity bias. Are you familiar with the term? Verywellmind.com defines it as such: “The negative bias is our tendency not only to register negative stimuli more readily but also to dwell on these events. Also known as positive-negative asymmetry, this negativity bias means that we feel the sting of a rebuke more powerfully than we feel the joy of praise.” I recognize this tendency in myself and thus have fought hard to practice a thousand gifts and search for pluses instead of minuses.
Regretably, my gaze often gravitates toward what is not quite right. Dissatisfaction is the universal lens fitted for humanity at the fall. Awakening to the less conspicuous gifts of everyday life requires rote repetition. We transform our negativity bias to a to a gratitude bias one thought at a time, intentionally searching out the best and celebrating it’s improbable presence in our fallen world. There is much to delight in if we only open our eyes to see it! There is always something to be thankful for.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV)
It turns out we give thanks both in arrears and in advance.
In arrears: We look back at His pursuit and apprehension with gratitude. God has gone to such great lengths to get our attention, alert us to our sin and address our need with His grace. If we see our personal history with the Almighty with any measure of accuracy, we are appreciative, acknowledging His gratuitous efforts to alter our eternity.
In advance: the promises of heaven are hunting us down. The unshakeable Kingdom is coming for us. We can endure about anything today because our future is decided and it’s a good one. Even if this particular twenty-four hours proved to be demanding or difficult, the promise of heaven still eclipses the pain of today. We hang on to our hope with thanksgiving in our heart because we know we don’t deserve a home with God, yet in His graciousness He has invited us and paid for the accommodations in advance.
Lord, we look to You and our hearts are filled with thanksgiving. We are not entitled to Your love or concern or intervention in our lives’ yet You stepped in with grace by the bucketful. Alert us, Lord, when our negativity bias is getting the best of us. Transform our thinking as only You can. Refit us with a lens of gratitude. Help us see life as a series of undeserved gifts from a loving God, culminating in a forever home we could never afford. May we learn to give thanks in arrears and advance alike: ever aware of Your grace abounding toward us. Let us live happy in the hope of God, continually appreciative of Your special interest in ordinary people like us. Amen.
So glad I found this site I have been reading some of your post will try and visit it every day may God bless you the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Again this is such a blessing for me to have found it.
Such kind words, thank you!