“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The Greek word for “encourage” literally means “to call to,” “to call for,” “to exhort.”

Notice encouraging another has to do with speaking. To encourage literally means to speak words that build up. Speak in such a way that when people hear your words, they are built up, they are exhorted, they are encouraged.

Obviously, there are times when we need to speak words of correction and discipline. Those are never fun. But even in those instances, the purpose of correction and discipline is to build up the other.

When I was younger, one of my mentors encouraged me to be a thermostat person and not a thermometer person.

A thermometer person can walk into a room or a situation and read the temperature. “This room is too hot!” or “This room is too cold!” But that’s it. They can’t do a darn thing to change the room. But any ol’ fool can walk into a room that’s ninety degrees and tell that it’s steaming hot, or a room that’s thirty degrees and tell that it’s freezing cold.

A thermostat person can also walk into a room or a situation and read the temperature. But, they can do something that thermometer people could never do: they can change the room. If it’s too hot, they can cool it down. If it’s too cold, they can warm it up.

Any ol’ fool can see that our world has lots of problems. But that’s not what God’s called you for. God not only wants you to correctly read the room and the situation, but God wants to use you to change the world for the better. In fact, God wants to establish his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven!

I appreciate what Thomas Merton wrote. He said, “Speak words of hope. Be human in this most inhuman of ages. Guard the image of man for it is the image of God.”

What our world desperately needs aren’t more thermometers walking around talking about all that’s wrong in the world.

What our world desperately needs are some thermostat people who can change the world and impact it for the good.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

The original Hebrew word for “Be still” does not mean “Be quiet.”

The root for the Hebrew word for “Be still” means “Let go,” “release,” “chill out,” “loosen your grip.”

There are things happening in our world that are beyond our control. They are frightening. They are maddening.

It’s in the midst of that maddening chaos we are reminded – be still, let it go, release, chill out, loosen your grip.

• Let go of trying to control everything
• Let go of worry
• Let go of fear
• Let go of anger and frustration
• Let go of unforgiveness
• Let go of your past
• Let go of the things you cannot change

Let go. Chill out. Loosen your grip on things. And see what God will do.

God is sovereign. God has never ceased to be sovereign. God is good. God’s got this.

Be still.
Let go.
Release.
Chill out.
Loosen your grip.

God’s got this.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Positive Recall Bias.

In a study participants were divided into two groups and given simple instructions:

• one group was asked to write down five things a day for which they were thankful;
• the other group was to write down five things they would identify as a hassle or disappointments.

Each group did this for ten weeks.

The group seeking to cultivate a positive recall bias reported that over time they became attuned to notice the good both in people and in situations. Conversely, the negative recall bias group grew much more attentive to what they didn’t like in people and in situations.

Just five thoughts!

Imagine that. The simple act of recalling five positive or negative things over ten weeks impacted the daily perspective and experience of people.

Just five thoughts!

Give thanks in all circumstances. This is God’s will for you. You don’t have to wonder if it’s God’s will. You don’t have to pray to see if this is God’s will. God plainly tells us – this is my will for you!

Not only is this God’s will for us, we now have the data to prove that this is healthy for us. This is good for us.

But we already knew that God’s will for us is good for us. Right?