Do You Give Thanks?

Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence.  The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it.

Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!” John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.” “But you must!” implored his companion. “The bull is catching up to us.” “All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ‘O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful” (Source Unknown).

It’s a humorous story, but I think it has a great message.  Remember what Paul writes to the Colossian church? Paul, through the inspiration of the Spirit wrote,  “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).  Paul is saying that no matter what you do—whether in your talking, or in your actions, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus.  If you’re washing dishes, do it as if you’re doing it for Christ, if you’re cleaning up after someone, do it for Jesus, if your in over your heard, push through for Jesus!

But it also says that we are to “give thanks to God the Father through Him [Jesus].” So what does that mean?  I think it means that no matter what comes our way, no matter how bad, or how incredible, that we are to give thanks for everything God has done for us. So you’re worried about something? Life got you down? Then  remember what Paul writes the church in Philippi: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).  Take it to God!  He will provide the answer and the outcome that will accomplish His purpose in your life!

Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersby illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him” (Our Daily Bread).  Imagine how God feels.

So what about you?  Are you good at giving thanks?  Have you really ever sat down and given through to just how much God has done for you?  Have you thanked Him? Try this little experiment.  Take out a piece of paper and a pen.  Write down everything you have to be thankful for in your life.  I think you’ll be really surprised at how good you have it and how God is blessing you daily.  Some people, the glass half empty folks, often feel that God doesn’t care about them.  Doing this exercise will definitely help them to see just how good and great our God truly is. Sometimes we just need to see that freedom is sometimes just simply another perspective away.  Just something to think about.

- Scott

What if God had our Attitude?

Do you ever stop and think about the way we treat one another?  How we hold grudges and harbor resentment towards others.  How we judge, how we don’t want to forgive, how we are bitter and angry?  What about patience?  What if God had your patience?  What if God had our short fuse?

What do I mean by all this?  I mean, what if God had the same attitudes that we exhibit?  How would you stand if God’s attitude reflected yours?  I know that I would be up the creek without any hope of a paddle. I would be lost never to be found—dead never to be alive again.

It’s a scary thought to ponder isn’t it?  What if God had our attitude?  But, I have some excellent news:  He doesn’t! But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalms 86:15).  Unlike us, it takes A LOT to get God angry (and when you get Him that angry, you better look out).  God is there, faithfully and lovingly waiting for us.

Read Luke 15:11-32, the story of the Prodigal Son.  Here’s a classic example of how we are.  The son asks for his inheritance early, basically saying, “dad, I wish you were dead,” and then goes off to a foreign country and blows it all on luxury, pleasure, and a good time.  So after this, he runs out of money during a famine. He’s so desperate for food that he eats pig slop.  He decides in his heart he will return home to his father.  So he practices his speech and expects the wrath of his father.  After he gets confident enough, he goes home.

He expects anger from his father, but that’s not what happens at all!  The text says, “So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ‘ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:20-24).

The father in this story represents God.  The son, you.  You, me, the guy next door…we’ve all done what this one son did.  We’ve hurt our Father so deeply by our sin (Romans 3:23).  We expect the worst from God, but what we often fail to see is that in our shame, in our weakness, in our deadness—God is right there—watching and waiting anxiously for our return.  He runs to us.  After all we do, God runs to us and gives us his best.  He gives us eternal life, forgiveness of sin, and renewal in our dead hearts of stone.

We really need to understand the importance of what Paul said when he wrote, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”

(Colossians 3:13).  Our brothers and sisters will get on our nerves, hurt us, and make us mad.  That is inevitable.  But how we respond defines whether we are God’s child or not.  Have the same attitude of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).  Something to think about.

We’ve been going through the different world religions in Sunday morning Bible class.  We talk about what they believe, why they believe it, and how to most effectively share our faith in Jesus with people of other faiths.  I have really enjoyed this study and it has been of great benefit to me.  The topic of world religions is fascinating to me.

I have learned several things from studying different belief systems, but there is one that sticks out in my mind more that anything else.  As I look at other religions, I see systems that are based on the individual.  What do I mean?  I mean that they have a certain number of prayers to pray, or good deeds to do and even then, it may not be good enough to get them into heaven, Nirvana, oneness with the universe, or whatever else they may be striving for as the end result.

Paul, a man who was familiar with religion and it’s requirements, a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” as he pens in Philippians 3:5.  He writes his long list of personal accomplishments:

“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)

Paul was well acquainted for striving for redemption—working his way to God.  But then he writes this:

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ– the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Philippians 3:7-9)

To me, that’s the one of the biggest differences between Christianity and other religions.  Religion teaches that you must work to get to God.  Christianity teaches that God has already done all the work that you couldn’t do in the first place and then went beyond. Religion is man’s attempt to reach God, while Christianity is God’s attempt to reach man.  See the difference?

Paul penned some remarkable words to the church at Galatia.  After a discourse about the Law being useless and Christ being all-sufficient, Paul says this to the church of Galatia:

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

Paul is saying, after contrasting the imperfections of following the Law with the perfection of Jesus fulfilling it, my paraphrase:  “Why in the world are you shackling yourself down with things you were just set free from?”  Why are making something so simple so hard?  It’s the great question of the church of our time.  Have we lost this simplicity? Have we traded it for things that were never intended? God the way and tore all the barriers down.

So what about you?  Have you kept it simple?  Are you free?  Truly free? Jesus says,

“and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Have you been set free?  Or have you been set free and chained yourself down with man-made rules and regulations?  Something to think about.

Apathy is Lethal

In our walk with Christ, it’s so easy to become apathetic.  Life, after all, is full of deadlines, bills, relationships, and other things we seek to fill it with.  Our schedules are so full sometimes, that we neglect the more important things for the lesser ones.  It’s easy to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.

Apathy is one of those things that creeps in very gradually…over a long period of time.  Apathy towards our relationship with God comes on so slowly, but by the time we notice it, it seems as if it is blind-siding us out of nowhere. Usually, if we retrace our steps we can identify that apathy had been there for a while.

It starts out seemingly harmless.  We stop praying daily…not by choice, but because we fall asleep mid-repent.  We stop studying the Word daily, not on purpose, but because we have to get some extra time somewhere, right? We start missing worship on a regular basis, not because we want to, but because there’s just no time for it. We stop going to Bible study, not because it’s boring, but because we sure can use that extra hour of sleep. We stop calling our brothers and sisters. Before we know it, we’ve all but fallen away from the Lord.

There is a biblical example of the seriousness of becoming apathetic towards our walk with the Savior:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:14-16, NIV).

Jesus says that He knows how apathetic the Laodicean church has become and He is sick of it!  So sick, that it makes Him want to vomit!

Keep reading this text,

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17, NIV).

This congregation had become so apathetic that they were thinking they had it all together!  That’s not the case, however!  Jesus calls them on the carpet and tells them that are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”  He’s telling them that they are deceiving themselves that they have it all together and are good, but in reality they have absolutely nothing!

Pretty somber appeal isn’t it? So what’s the solution?  Jesus says,

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” (Revelation 3:18-19, NIV).

So what about you?  Would you feel right at home in Laodicea?  Are you luke—warm?  It’s not hard to get that way.  What’s important is that once you realize your condition, that you take action and do something about it—repent.  If not, you may find yourself thinking you have it all together when all along you had nothing at all.  Just something to think about this week.