In working on Sunday's message, I came across this YouTube video that was hilarious, so I thought I would start off today's blog with it. Watch the video (turn up your sound) and then let me share with you my thoughts. As funny as the video is, there are nuggets contained in there that reflect tactics used by well-meaning Christians. Take a look!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Okay, so here are my thoughts about what you just watched and what the word of God says. Let's take the "talking points" of the video one by one.
1) Motivate - The guy in the video used a tactic of sneaking up and leaving a little unwanted "gift" along with a note that was intended to motivate the homeowner to come to church to find out who left the unwanted gift. While I have never personally known anyone who has resorted to extreme tactics like that, I have known people who have motivated people in ways that aren't wise or gracious. Be careful, for the word of God tells us to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." (Colossians 4:5)
2) Exaggerate - The woman in the video told the other lady that all of her problems would go away if she would just come to church! How many people do you know that make big promises about what it will be like to serve the Lord? I have known several people who have "won people to the Lord" by implying that all of the person's problems would subside if they would only become a Christian. Big problem there, folks! First of all, it isn't true. Second of all, even Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation.
Watch what you say in inviting people to church or sharing your faith. God tells us , "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) Make sure you are sharing truth with people, and TRUE hope, not false hope!
3) Use a Variety of Methods - The video suggested "Quick Draw" (throwing invitations at people), "Wallpaper" (inundating people with invitations over and over until they have no room for anything else), and "Reverse Psychology" (telling people they would not want to come or telling them they would be bored). The method we use needs to be born of the Holy Spirit, because what one person will respond to may be different than what the next person will respond to, and who knows that better than God Himself? God's word tells us "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. " (Colossians 4:2-3) Watch for opportunities and respond to the open doors He brings your way.
4) Learn to Negotiate - The man in the video was basically holding a report due to his boss as a ransom to get the guy to come to church. Hmmm, well the guy may come to church, but I doubt seriously if it will be because he is interested in church. Worse yet, the Christian will be seen in a way that is not glorifying to God
We must behave in ways that will validate our testimony. God's word says, " But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (I Peter 3:15-16)
5) Intimidation - The guy in the video had his friend backed up against a wall and was threatening and intimidating into coming to church. I've never seen anyone go that far, but I have seen people threaten to withdraw friendship or to do other sorts of "consequence" behaviors if their friend or family member doesn't come to church. Just like the previous method ("Learn to Negotiate"), your friend may come to church, but not for the right reasons.
I Peter 3:15 tells us to share our faith "with gentleness and respect." Intimidation just doesn't fall into either category!
6) Name Dropping - Name dropping is problematic for many reasons. Do we really want people to come to church because some big name person is going to be there? Seriously? I've never seen anyone in our church do that, but we need to be careful the words we use in inviting people to church and sharing the faith.
It seems to me that when we do the name dropping of any kind, we are muddying up the message of the gospel, where Paul tells us, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4:4)
So go out and invite your friends and family! Pray for an opportunity. Watch for the doors God opens for you. Be clear and respectful and gentle. And most important, with those words "seasoned with salt," give them something that will leave them thirsting for more!
Okay, feedback time! Tell me what your thoughts, your fears, your concerns, your hopes, and your prayers are regarding this! I want to know!
1) Motivate - The guy in the video used a tactic of sneaking up and leaving a little unwanted "gift" along with a note that was intended to motivate the homeowner to come to church to find out who left the unwanted gift. While I have never personally known anyone who has resorted to extreme tactics like that, I have known people who have motivated people in ways that aren't wise or gracious. Be careful, for the word of God tells us to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." (Colossians 4:5)
2) Exaggerate - The woman in the video told the other lady that all of her problems would go away if she would just come to church! How many people do you know that make big promises about what it will be like to serve the Lord? I have known several people who have "won people to the Lord" by implying that all of the person's problems would subside if they would only become a Christian. Big problem there, folks! First of all, it isn't true. Second of all, even Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation.
Watch what you say in inviting people to church or sharing your faith. God tells us , "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) Make sure you are sharing truth with people, and TRUE hope, not false hope!
3) Use a Variety of Methods - The video suggested "Quick Draw" (throwing invitations at people), "Wallpaper" (inundating people with invitations over and over until they have no room for anything else), and "Reverse Psychology" (telling people they would not want to come or telling them they would be bored). The method we use needs to be born of the Holy Spirit, because what one person will respond to may be different than what the next person will respond to, and who knows that better than God Himself? God's word tells us "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. " (Colossians 4:2-3) Watch for opportunities and respond to the open doors He brings your way.
4) Learn to Negotiate - The man in the video was basically holding a report due to his boss as a ransom to get the guy to come to church. Hmmm, well the guy may come to church, but I doubt seriously if it will be because he is interested in church. Worse yet, the Christian will be seen in a way that is not glorifying to God
We must behave in ways that will validate our testimony. God's word says, " But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (I Peter 3:15-16)
5) Intimidation - The guy in the video had his friend backed up against a wall and was threatening and intimidating into coming to church. I've never seen anyone go that far, but I have seen people threaten to withdraw friendship or to do other sorts of "consequence" behaviors if their friend or family member doesn't come to church. Just like the previous method ("Learn to Negotiate"), your friend may come to church, but not for the right reasons.
I Peter 3:15 tells us to share our faith "with gentleness and respect." Intimidation just doesn't fall into either category!
6) Name Dropping - Name dropping is problematic for many reasons. Do we really want people to come to church because some big name person is going to be there? Seriously? I've never seen anyone in our church do that, but we need to be careful the words we use in inviting people to church and sharing the faith.
It seems to me that when we do the name dropping of any kind, we are muddying up the message of the gospel, where Paul tells us, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4:4)
So go out and invite your friends and family! Pray for an opportunity. Watch for the doors God opens for you. Be clear and respectful and gentle. And most important, with those words "seasoned with salt," give them something that will leave them thirsting for more!
Okay, feedback time! Tell me what your thoughts, your fears, your concerns, your hopes, and your prayers are regarding this! I want to know!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Put On Your Armor
What a wonderful job the children did on Sunday as they shared with the congregation what they have learned in the past year. It is so encouraging to hear them not only explain the concepts, but also tell how they apply those concepts to their lives in real life situations.
It's really pretty simple, and yet so profound!
If the worship service did anything for us, it should have pointed us in the direction of applying the word of God to our daily lives.
Ephesians 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
How many of our daily struggles are more difficult because we forget to put on our armor?
Without the belt of truth, we are much more likely to succumb to the lies of the enemy. We must combat lies with the truth of the Word of God.
Without the breastplate of righteousness, we are more likely to be timid in our battle with the enemy. We may not see ourselves clothed in His righteousness and it may make us vulnerable and weak.
The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. When our faith is solid (like the Roman soldier shield) no fiery dart can penetrate it. In fact, the shield extinguishes the fiery dart.
The helmet of salvation is what protects our very lives. A severe head wound can be a mortal blow. With our helmet of salvation, we know we are secure in Christ. It can add to our confidence in battling the enemy who would like to deal the mortal blow.
While the shield of faith is our defensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit is both an offensive and defensive weapon. With the sword, we can defend ourselves, but also deal some blows to the enemy. Wouldn't it be a nice thought that through the Holy Spirit we can do some damage to the enemy?
That's really all I have this week. The kids said a lot and gave us much to think about. What are your thoughts? What did you hear from our little ones?
It's really pretty simple, and yet so profound!
If the worship service did anything for us, it should have pointed us in the direction of applying the word of God to our daily lives.
Ephesians 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
How many of our daily struggles are more difficult because we forget to put on our armor?
Without the belt of truth, we are much more likely to succumb to the lies of the enemy. We must combat lies with the truth of the Word of God.
Without the breastplate of righteousness, we are more likely to be timid in our battle with the enemy. We may not see ourselves clothed in His righteousness and it may make us vulnerable and weak.
The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. When our faith is solid (like the Roman soldier shield) no fiery dart can penetrate it. In fact, the shield extinguishes the fiery dart.
The helmet of salvation is what protects our very lives. A severe head wound can be a mortal blow. With our helmet of salvation, we know we are secure in Christ. It can add to our confidence in battling the enemy who would like to deal the mortal blow.
While the shield of faith is our defensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit is both an offensive and defensive weapon. With the sword, we can defend ourselves, but also deal some blows to the enemy. Wouldn't it be a nice thought that through the Holy Spirit we can do some damage to the enemy?
That's really all I have this week. The kids said a lot and gave us much to think about. What are your thoughts? What did you hear from our little ones?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
What's in Your Backpack?
I was moved anew on Sunday morning as I watched the DVD, "Going Home: The Journey of Kim Jones." For those who missed the service, it was a wonderful message, packaged in a very simple story about a young woman who loved Jesus. I encourage you to rent the DVD from your local video store.
In the story, Kim likened our lives to a journey where we are all carrying backpacks while anticipating going home. I like that a lot.
As I watched, I had so many thoughts, some of which were shared during the discussion time. I'll just throw them out here, and ask you to share what your thoughts were.
1) Life is a journey, and we are all carrying backpacks. Hopefully we have packed our backpacks with things we actually need. How do we know what we need? God knows, so ask Him!
2) Anything in the backpack we don't actually have need of will be unnecessary weight that will ultimately burden us and drag us down. Decide to make your journey easier and your burden lighter by ridding yourselves of what is not absolutely necessary to the completion of the journey. Ask God what your encumbrances are. If your burden seems heavy, then you may very well be carrying something in your backpack that God does not desire for you.
Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
3) We all need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and remember moment by moment that this life is a temporary thing. We are here to glorify God and serve Him. We do that in different ways, but we must keep in mind that our PRIMARY purpose is all about eternity and many of the things that we worry about have little to do with anything eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
My pastor's heart for all of you is to rid yourselves of encumbrances and to remember that this life is just temporary. My prayer is that you are all storing up treasures in heaven.
So what is in your backpack? Does it feel heavy? Are the things in it useful? Necessary? Do you need to make changes in the contents? Do you have a hard time remembering that life is just a journey, a temporary one? What do you need to do to keep your focus on eternity on a daily basis?
Let's get practical this week. Talk to me. What are your thoughts about this?
In the story, Kim likened our lives to a journey where we are all carrying backpacks while anticipating going home. I like that a lot.
As I watched, I had so many thoughts, some of which were shared during the discussion time. I'll just throw them out here, and ask you to share what your thoughts were.
1) Life is a journey, and we are all carrying backpacks. Hopefully we have packed our backpacks with things we actually need. How do we know what we need? God knows, so ask Him!
2) Anything in the backpack we don't actually have need of will be unnecessary weight that will ultimately burden us and drag us down. Decide to make your journey easier and your burden lighter by ridding yourselves of what is not absolutely necessary to the completion of the journey. Ask God what your encumbrances are. If your burden seems heavy, then you may very well be carrying something in your backpack that God does not desire for you.
Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
3) We all need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and remember moment by moment that this life is a temporary thing. We are here to glorify God and serve Him. We do that in different ways, but we must keep in mind that our PRIMARY purpose is all about eternity and many of the things that we worry about have little to do with anything eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
My pastor's heart for all of you is to rid yourselves of encumbrances and to remember that this life is just temporary. My prayer is that you are all storing up treasures in heaven.
So what is in your backpack? Does it feel heavy? Are the things in it useful? Necessary? Do you need to make changes in the contents? Do you have a hard time remembering that life is just a journey, a temporary one? What do you need to do to keep your focus on eternity on a daily basis?
Let's get practical this week. Talk to me. What are your thoughts about this?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Be Faithful
I Thessalonians 5:19-22 "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."
We continue our discussion of Paul's instructions to a church that was anticipating the return of Christ. I find it fascinating that the church at Thessalonica may have been experiencing the same issues that we grapple with today.
On Sunday, for comparison, I noted that Paul had been concerned about the worship that was occurring in Corinth. This is evidenced in I Corinthians 11:17 where he told them "In the following directives [those where he talked about the Lord's supper and the spiritual gifts, among other things] I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good."
Wow! Some pretty strong words. The church at Corinth was into the "free flow of the gifts of the Spirit" to the point where it had become unedifying and disorderly. He was telling them to do things in an orderly manner and rein it in a bit. Their meetings were not edifying the members and were downright disrespectful of some. They were out of control in "doing whatever they felt like doing."
Yet in I Thessalonians 5:19 Paul instructs the church, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt." So which is it? He appears to be telling one group to rein it in, and another one to allow the Spirit to flow.
Perhaps it is best understood in light of his next words of instruction. Verse 20 says, "Test everything." Maybe the problem in Corinth was that the things that were happening in their meetings had not been "tested" to see if they were truly born of the Spirit. When we read the first letter to the Corinthians, it is pretty apparent that the church meetings were out of control. I have to believe that things that are truly of the Spirit of God will be orderly and not chaos-ridden.
So if we examine his exhortation to "not put out the Spirit's fire" and to "test everything," we must conclude that he is not suggesting that they have a "free-for-all" worship style where everyone is doing his thing and promoting himself. He is saying to let the Spirit flow, but make sure that it is of the Spirit and not of the flesh.
We tend to put out the Spirit's fire when we decide for ourselves what is okay and not okay, with no biblical basis. Often it is decided based on our traditions or our comfort zone. What Paul is encouraging is for us to allow the Spirit to do what the Spirit will, making sure that whatever is occurring lines up with the scripture.
A pastor whom I greatly admire once said, "God is God and He can do what He wants." I absolutely agree with that, but with a caution that let's make sure it is born of God; that is, test everything.
Paul's next instruction is so practical, it is almost one of those "no-brainers," yet we human beings somehow manage to mess up even the most basic things, so Paul takes the opportunity once again to remind the church. Verse 21a and 22 say, "Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."
Like I said, a no-brainer, right? But seriously, when we examine our lives, are we holding on to the good? How many times each week do we make a choice not to hold on to the good, but instead to follow the lies of satan and compromise that which we say we believe? We must be settled and firm in our faith, and then adhere to it when going through our day. When we give in to temptation, we have (even if momentarily) let go of that which is good.
If we are holding on to the good, it is the best way that I know of to avoid every kind of evil. The two go hand in hand, don't they?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! Please feel free to post a comment!
We continue our discussion of Paul's instructions to a church that was anticipating the return of Christ. I find it fascinating that the church at Thessalonica may have been experiencing the same issues that we grapple with today.
On Sunday, for comparison, I noted that Paul had been concerned about the worship that was occurring in Corinth. This is evidenced in I Corinthians 11:17 where he told them "In the following directives [those where he talked about the Lord's supper and the spiritual gifts, among other things] I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good."
Wow! Some pretty strong words. The church at Corinth was into the "free flow of the gifts of the Spirit" to the point where it had become unedifying and disorderly. He was telling them to do things in an orderly manner and rein it in a bit. Their meetings were not edifying the members and were downright disrespectful of some. They were out of control in "doing whatever they felt like doing."
Yet in I Thessalonians 5:19 Paul instructs the church, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt." So which is it? He appears to be telling one group to rein it in, and another one to allow the Spirit to flow.
Perhaps it is best understood in light of his next words of instruction. Verse 20 says, "Test everything." Maybe the problem in Corinth was that the things that were happening in their meetings had not been "tested" to see if they were truly born of the Spirit. When we read the first letter to the Corinthians, it is pretty apparent that the church meetings were out of control. I have to believe that things that are truly of the Spirit of God will be orderly and not chaos-ridden.
So if we examine his exhortation to "not put out the Spirit's fire" and to "test everything," we must conclude that he is not suggesting that they have a "free-for-all" worship style where everyone is doing his thing and promoting himself. He is saying to let the Spirit flow, but make sure that it is of the Spirit and not of the flesh.
We tend to put out the Spirit's fire when we decide for ourselves what is okay and not okay, with no biblical basis. Often it is decided based on our traditions or our comfort zone. What Paul is encouraging is for us to allow the Spirit to do what the Spirit will, making sure that whatever is occurring lines up with the scripture.
A pastor whom I greatly admire once said, "God is God and He can do what He wants." I absolutely agree with that, but with a caution that let's make sure it is born of God; that is, test everything.
Paul's next instruction is so practical, it is almost one of those "no-brainers," yet we human beings somehow manage to mess up even the most basic things, so Paul takes the opportunity once again to remind the church. Verse 21a and 22 say, "Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."
Like I said, a no-brainer, right? But seriously, when we examine our lives, are we holding on to the good? How many times each week do we make a choice not to hold on to the good, but instead to follow the lies of satan and compromise that which we say we believe? We must be settled and firm in our faith, and then adhere to it when going through our day. When we give in to temptation, we have (even if momentarily) let go of that which is good.
If we are holding on to the good, it is the best way that I know of to avoid every kind of evil. The two go hand in hand, don't they?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! Please feel free to post a comment!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Be Thankful
I Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Thankfulness is clearly a command and expectation of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica. These words are written in the group of exhortations of how exactly we should live in the "last days" as we anticipate Jesus Christ's return. "Watch and wait." "Be mindful of relationships with believers." "Be joyful always." "Pray continually." As I said in an earlier post, it would seem that Paul believes that minding our hearts, our relationships, our choices, our attitudes, and our behavior is going to contribute largely to the way we deal with end times. Interesting.
But back to thankfulness...
Thankful for everything? Seriously? It kind of reminds me of the Peanuts comic in today's paper. We can think of some reasons to be thankful, but then it interferes with the bottom line, and that is how we want things to be. So we may be thankful for a moment or two, but then remember, "Oh yeah, this isn't the way I want things to be," so we revert back to unthankfulness...again.
We often say around here, "God is good, and if He is good then His plan is good." If we remember that, then thankfulness could come easier. Let's get practical with how that would work, shall we?
My car breaks down. What am I thankful for? "Thank You, Lord, that I have the money to fix it. Thank You, Lord, that I wasn't on the freeway when the car broke down. Thank You, Lord, that you sent someone to help me. Thank You, Lord, that my joy does not depend on my car running well."
This doesn't mean I don't get the car towed to the mechanic. Doesn't mean I don't try to get it fixed. I do the practical things, but with a thankful heart.
I go to the ER because I have a terrible pain in my stomach. What am I thankful for? "I thank You, Lord, for doctors. I thank You, Lord, that You are with me even when I am sick. I thank You, Lord, for medical insurance...(or even) I thank You that even though I have no insurance You will meet the need."
This doesn't mean you must enjoy the pain. It only means that in the midst of the pain, you are thankful, if for no other reason, for God's presence with you.
My children are being rebellious. What am I thankful for? "Thank You, Lord, for the strength you will provide me to get through this. I thank You that you are giving me wisdom to deal with the situation. I thank You that you are going to bring good out of this. I thank You that You are at work in our family. I thank You, Lord, that you love my children even more than I do and that You in Your wisdom can draw them back to You."
Yes, you might still cry and you will probably not enjoy their rebellion, but you can be thankful in the midst of all of it because you know that God is sustaining you and giving you wisdom.
Remember the Veggie Tales song? The chorus goes something like this:
A thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have. Thats an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!
Thankfulness focuses on God. When we focus on God, we become intensely aware of His power and His love for us. That may bring immense peace and joy in our lives, which causes even further thankfulness.
Food for thought!
Tell me what you think. How's it working for you this week? Post a comment. (If you don't know how, call me and I'll walk you through it!)
Thankfulness is clearly a command and expectation of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica. These words are written in the group of exhortations of how exactly we should live in the "last days" as we anticipate Jesus Christ's return. "Watch and wait." "Be mindful of relationships with believers." "Be joyful always." "Pray continually." As I said in an earlier post, it would seem that Paul believes that minding our hearts, our relationships, our choices, our attitudes, and our behavior is going to contribute largely to the way we deal with end times. Interesting.
But back to thankfulness...
Thankful for everything? Seriously? It kind of reminds me of the Peanuts comic in today's paper. We can think of some reasons to be thankful, but then it interferes with the bottom line, and that is how we want things to be. So we may be thankful for a moment or two, but then remember, "Oh yeah, this isn't the way I want things to be," so we revert back to unthankfulness...again.
We often say around here, "God is good, and if He is good then His plan is good." If we remember that, then thankfulness could come easier. Let's get practical with how that would work, shall we?
My car breaks down. What am I thankful for? "Thank You, Lord, that I have the money to fix it. Thank You, Lord, that I wasn't on the freeway when the car broke down. Thank You, Lord, that you sent someone to help me. Thank You, Lord, that my joy does not depend on my car running well."
This doesn't mean I don't get the car towed to the mechanic. Doesn't mean I don't try to get it fixed. I do the practical things, but with a thankful heart.
I go to the ER because I have a terrible pain in my stomach. What am I thankful for? "I thank You, Lord, for doctors. I thank You, Lord, that You are with me even when I am sick. I thank You, Lord, for medical insurance...(or even) I thank You that even though I have no insurance You will meet the need."
This doesn't mean you must enjoy the pain. It only means that in the midst of the pain, you are thankful, if for no other reason, for God's presence with you.
My children are being rebellious. What am I thankful for? "Thank You, Lord, for the strength you will provide me to get through this. I thank You that you are giving me wisdom to deal with the situation. I thank You that you are going to bring good out of this. I thank You that You are at work in our family. I thank You, Lord, that you love my children even more than I do and that You in Your wisdom can draw them back to You."
Yes, you might still cry and you will probably not enjoy their rebellion, but you can be thankful in the midst of all of it because you know that God is sustaining you and giving you wisdom.
Remember the Veggie Tales song? The chorus goes something like this:
A thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have. Thats an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!
Thankfulness focuses on God. When we focus on God, we become intensely aware of His power and His love for us. That may bring immense peace and joy in our lives, which causes even further thankfulness.
Food for thought!
Tell me what you think. How's it working for you this week? Post a comment. (If you don't know how, call me and I'll walk you through it!)
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