Is it possible to be thankful for all people – including those who seem to “rub” us the wrong way?
Not only is it possible, but there is a great and wonderful blessing in doing so!
My favorite Scriptures concerning this matter is found in Jeremiah. That prophet sure had a tough message to give God’s people and the way the people treated him was just downright wrong! Nevertheless, God gave Jeremiah advice with a potent promise:
“…and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth…” (Jer 15:19).
I have personally taken this passage for myself and for my ministry. I believe that if I am careful to “take forth the precious” in people (as opposed to merely focusing on the “vile” and negative things), then God will enable me to be a mouthpiece for His Word.
It is so easy to settle back in our old Adamic nature and be an armchair critic of everyone around us. In fact, would not our enemy, the Devil himself, encourage us to do so? After all, the very word “devil” means “accuser and slanderer”! Nevertheless, I have found that, as soon as we purpose to follow God’s advice to Jeremiah, the Holy Spirit lifts us up into the new nature of Christ, and giving thanks to God in prayer for people can easily become a wonderful habit. Indeed, it will (literally!) become second nature to us!!
Paul was well acquainted with all the problems in the local churches. (Some, like the Corinthian and Galatian churches had some very serious issues!) It would have been quite easy and natural for him to become a critical cynic, but, were that the case, he could have never become God’s mouthpiece, the chosen vessel to reach the Gentiles, and God’s instrument to write much of the New Testament!
Just take a peek at the prayers Paul penned:
• “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom 1:8).
• “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:4).
• “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Eph 1:16).
• “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Phil 1:3).
• “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers” (1 Thess 1:2).
• “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (2 Thess 1:3).
• “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess 2:13).
• “I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers” (Phlm 1:4)
Paul also made it a point to instruct Timothy not only to pray and intercede for all men, but to make specific time in during such prayers to give specific thanks for them as well:
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority….” (1 Tim 2:1-2).
In my experience and also in my wife’s, amazing things have resulted when we have chosen to take time in prayer to give thanks for people. However, in this blog, I would like to share a portion from a book which I read many years ago. It was this story that opened my eyes to the wonderful benefit of making a key part of my prayer time that of giving thanks to God for the people for whom I pray.
The name of this little gem of a book is “Praying Hyde, Apostle of Prayer; The Life Story of John Hyde” by Francis McGaw. John Hyde was a missionary (from 1892-1911)to the northern area of India called the Punjab. The chapter which I am sharing in this blog is one which tells of the secret John Hyde discovered: When praying for others, always give God thanks first! I’ve read this book many times over the years, and this chapter always rekindles that flame of thankfulness in prayer for others. Enjoy and be inspired!
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“The Secret of Hyde’s Power with God and with Men
– ‘Giving Thanks in Everything!’ “
Mr. Hyde had a wonderful experience, to which he owed, I believe, his power with God, and therefore with man. He used to speak of it as one of the most direct and solemn lessons God had ever taught him. He was up in the hills resting for a short time. He had been burdened about the spiritual condition of a certain pastor, and he resolved to spend time in definite intercession for him. Entering into his “inner chamber,” he began pouring out his heart to his Heavenly Father concerning that brother somewhat as follows:
“O God! Thou knowest that brother how– ” “cold” he was going to say, when suddenly a Hand seemed to be laid on his lips, and a Voice said to him in stern reproach, “He that toucheth him, toucheth the apple of Mine eye.” A great horror came over him. He had been guilty before God of “accusing the brethren.” He had been “judging” his brother. He felt rebuked and humbled before God. It was he himself who first needed putting right. He confessed this sin. He claimed the precious Blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin! “Whatsoever things are lovely . . . if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” Then he cried out, “Father, show me what things are lovely and of good report in my brother’s life.” Like a flash he remembered how that brother had given up all for Christ, enduring much suffering from relations whom he had given up. He was reminded of his years of hard work, of the tact with which he managed his difficult congregation, of the many quarrels he had healed, of what a model husband he was. One thing after another rose up before him and so all his prayer season was spent in praise for his brother instead of in prayer.
He could not recall a single petition, nothing but thanksgiving! God was opening His servant’s eyes to the highest of ministries, that of praise.
Mark the result also on that brother’s life! When Mr. Hyde went down to the plains, he found that just then the brother had received a great spiritual uplift. While he was praising, God was blessing. A wonderful Divine Law, the law of a Father’s love. While we bless God for any child of His, He delights to bless that one!
This was the secret of John Hyde’s power with God. He saw the good in God’s little ones, and so was able to appreciate God’s work of grace in that heart. Hence he supplied the heavenly atmosphere of praise in which God’s love was free to work in all its fullness.
This, too, was what gave him power with men. We are attracted to those who appreciate us. All our powers expand in their presence, and we are with them at our best. Hence they call out all that is good in us, and we feel uplifted when with them.
To such souls we turn as naturally as the flowers to the sun, and our hearts expand and bloom out with a fragrance that surprises even ourselves.
Now this is a law that holds good especially with children, and with those who are yet young in the Christian life. The more mature God’s people are the less they depend on man’s approbation or censure, but not so when they are children. Remember, too, our Lord’s solemn warning against casting a stumbling block in the way of any of His little ones! When we look at their faults, we shrivel up their energies, they are at their worst. In a word, we encourage their faults by thinking about them.
Let us remember above all else that God’s people on this earth are in the making. This is His workshop and souls are being fashioned and formed in it. The final polishing touches we will not receive in the present life, but when this body of our humiliation has been transformed. Suppose you go into a carpenter’s shop and begin to find fault with his unfinished chairs and tables! You say, “How rough this is? What an ugly corner that is!” The carpenter will doubtless get angry and say, “Bear in mind that I am still making these things. They are not yet finished. Come and see the pattern after which they are being fashioned. See, this is what they will yet be like when I have done with them. He shows you beautiful chairs and tables – shining, perfectly formed, polished to perfection! Is the carpenter not right? Is the critic not in the wrong? The one looks at the things that are lovely and eternal. The other at those which are unlovely and, thank God, fleeting.
Would you have power with God and man for the upbuilding of the Church? Follow the method of the Carpenter of Nazareth who never broke the bruised reed, who never quenched the smoking wick, no matter how much smoke it was giving out. He turned His eyes to the light of God, there burning dimly, and by so doing blew it into a flame till erring disciples became the Light of the World. This is the way of Love and of Eternal Hope. The other is the way of sense and of present fact and failure – all of which are fleeting – none of which is the Eternal Truth in Eternal Love.
I never met any man whose very presence seemed to help the weak to become strong, the sinful to repent, the erring to walk aright so much as John Hyde. The secret of his success in building up the people of God lay in this method of looking for all the good in men and making it so to expand that the evil was driven out for want of room. Then should we shut our eyes to the faults of all? Should we never reprove sin? Turn to our Lord. Did He not do so at times? Yes, to the impenitent – to those who opposed Him and would not come to Him for help. Just because He was in the habit of looking at all that was good – for that very reason He was able to reprove with all the greater power. No one could do so more severely than our Lord just because He loved much and sympathized so much with all that was good in men.
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