English novelist and essayist Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) posits an enduring truth when he states, "Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." It is not that we purposefully set out to be that way, but it is easy for us to become so accustomed to certain things that we become indifferent to them; we accept them without thankfulness or a thought.
Let us stop and consider some of those things. When was the last time you thanked God for the ability to feed yourself? To tie your shoe laces? For the sense of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, touching? For family, friends, spiritual leaders? When was the last time you thanked your children for helping with the chores? Your spouse for taking care of the home; for being a hard working husband or wife who put his or her family's needs ahead of himself or herself? A friend for always being there when needed? When was the last time you thanked anybody for anything and really meant it? If we take the time to stop and count our blessings, we would be surprised at how much there is to be thankful for.
Our inability to be aware of and express thankfulness for what God has blessed us with is indicative of an attitude of ingratitude. The Apostle Paul exhorted the church at Colosse to "cultivate thankfulness" (Colossians 3:15, The Message). The same message applies to us today. Instead of being murmurers and complainers let us resolve to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. To the Thessalonians Paul affirmed, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Yes, it is God's will that we have an attitude of thankfulness not only towards Him but towards those in our sphere of influence.
To be unthankful is to be in a dangerous place; it is to live on the level of the depraved (Romans 1:21, 28-30). In Deuteronomy 28:47-48 we see it is an attitude that God frowns upon; "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you], Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck until He has destroyed you" (Amplified). If we are not attaining a thankful spirit then we are slipping toward a depraved mind.
The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart. Such a heart does not know ingratitude but seeks to continually thank God for His blessings, no matter how routine and insignificant they may seem. Do you have such a heart? If not, how about asking His help, starting today, to cultivate a thankful heart? Try it; I guarantee it will change your life.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Believing God
Whenever I think of Abraham, the words "believed God" immediately follow the intrusion of his name into my thoughts. As a matter of fact, his obedience was so pivotal in the success of what God wanted to do in the earth that two of the New Testament writers, Paul and James, found it necessary to use him as an example in their exposition of the doctrine of faith (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). From the time God first showed up with only the promise of making him a great nation and demanded that he leave his country and family for some unidentified place (Genesis 12), and throughout the rest of his life, the circumstances under which the obedience of this patriarch of God was tested were not always clear to him. Yet, in obvious reference to Genesis 15:6, Paul and James remind us that "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
The faith which Abraham exercised was that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven in number. This promise was made to him when he had no child, and of course when he had no prospect of such a posterity. In detailing the strength and nature of this faith, Paul writes, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:16-21, KJV). As Bible Scholar Albert Barnes notes, "The reason why it was counted to him for righteousness was, that it was such a strong, direct, and unwavering act of confidence in the promise of God."
Strong. Direct. Unwavering. Words that reflect the kind of faith that God honors. This was not blind faith because it was faith in the One who call those things which be not as though they were. With that kind of omnipotence, there was nothing He couldn't do and therefore Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able to perform. He knew quite intimately what God desires for every one of His children to know - He can be trusted. However, as Abraham found out, God's timetable is not our timetable and therein lies our challenge. Can we trust God enough to wait upon Him, even if that wait seems to be an awfully long one? It took 25 years from the declaration of the promise of a son to it's fulfillment. Did God have to take that long? No, but I'm sure He had His reasons. The most important thing is not how long He will take to answer but can we stay the course and trust Him.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Could the same thing be said about you?
The faith which Abraham exercised was that his posterity should be like the stars of heaven in number. This promise was made to him when he had no child, and of course when he had no prospect of such a posterity. In detailing the strength and nature of this faith, Paul writes, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:16-21, KJV). As Bible Scholar Albert Barnes notes, "The reason why it was counted to him for righteousness was, that it was such a strong, direct, and unwavering act of confidence in the promise of God."
Strong. Direct. Unwavering. Words that reflect the kind of faith that God honors. This was not blind faith because it was faith in the One who call those things which be not as though they were. With that kind of omnipotence, there was nothing He couldn't do and therefore Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able to perform. He knew quite intimately what God desires for every one of His children to know - He can be trusted. However, as Abraham found out, God's timetable is not our timetable and therein lies our challenge. Can we trust God enough to wait upon Him, even if that wait seems to be an awfully long one? It took 25 years from the declaration of the promise of a son to it's fulfillment. Did God have to take that long? No, but I'm sure He had His reasons. The most important thing is not how long He will take to answer but can we stay the course and trust Him.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Could the same thing be said about you?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A Thankful Heart
It may be a cliché but there is a lot of truth to it; our attitude determines our altitude. Whether we journey through life angry and proud or are true representatives of Christ living a life of joy, prayer, and gratitude is largely dependent on our attitude. In his letter to church in Colossia, the Apostle Paul writes, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15, KJV). This was not unlike his message to the church in Thessalonica, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Notice the words - "Be ye thankful" and "In everything give thanks." Paul, more than anyone else, knew that life is not a bed of roses; it isn't always fair. There are pressures, challenges, disappointments, hurts, ups and downs, but Paul is saying that when something goes wrong in life, we should not lose our joy over it. Amidst all the bad stuff we should remember that God is in us, we are heaven-bound, and we have a responsibility to let the world know of our faith by our attitude. It seems to be a human tendency to complain and grumble when things are not going well. As believers, we are called to go against the tide and to give thanks in everything. Usually, that being thankful during those times is the last thing on our minds. Yet Paul did not leave us with an option. His admonition, spoken under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is quite clear. Be ye thankful! Rejoice always! In everything give thanks!
It is instructive to note that this attitude "is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Francis Frangipane says it well, "Thanksgiving is the language of faith." The faith in God that says, "I do not understand all that is going on at the moment but I trust you that you know what you are doing, and all of this is going to work out for my good and for your glory." Frangipane continues, "The moment we spend time thanking the Lord, we begin to see more clearly what He is actually doing. Our eyes are open as our hearts open."
The Psalmist declares that we must enter the gates of the LORD "with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:4). As we bless His name, He blesses us but our capacity to receive God's blessing is only as functional as our ability to be grateful for them. Remember, a thankful heart is the gateway through which the blessings of God enter our lives.
As you consider your own attitude amidst life's challenges, how thankful are you?
Notice the words - "Be ye thankful" and "In everything give thanks." Paul, more than anyone else, knew that life is not a bed of roses; it isn't always fair. There are pressures, challenges, disappointments, hurts, ups and downs, but Paul is saying that when something goes wrong in life, we should not lose our joy over it. Amidst all the bad stuff we should remember that God is in us, we are heaven-bound, and we have a responsibility to let the world know of our faith by our attitude. It seems to be a human tendency to complain and grumble when things are not going well. As believers, we are called to go against the tide and to give thanks in everything. Usually, that being thankful during those times is the last thing on our minds. Yet Paul did not leave us with an option. His admonition, spoken under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is quite clear. Be ye thankful! Rejoice always! In everything give thanks!
It is instructive to note that this attitude "is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Francis Frangipane says it well, "Thanksgiving is the language of faith." The faith in God that says, "I do not understand all that is going on at the moment but I trust you that you know what you are doing, and all of this is going to work out for my good and for your glory." Frangipane continues, "The moment we spend time thanking the Lord, we begin to see more clearly what He is actually doing. Our eyes are open as our hearts open."
The Psalmist declares that we must enter the gates of the LORD "with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:4). As we bless His name, He blesses us but our capacity to receive God's blessing is only as functional as our ability to be grateful for them. Remember, a thankful heart is the gateway through which the blessings of God enter our lives.
As you consider your own attitude amidst life's challenges, how thankful are you?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Be on Guard!
In the book of Job we read, "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (2:1-2, KJV). It is interesting to note that like a child who is up to no good and is confronted by a parent, Satan did not say what he was doing in his coming and going and the LORD did not pursue it. However, we are not left ignorant because under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Peter exposed him when he wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
That Satan is up to no good is a recurring theme in the Scriptures. Jesus said of him, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). To put it bluntly, he is not our friend! He is not someone we want to befriend, nor is he someone that we want to entertain. As our adversary he not only opposes us in his best interests, but is also opposed to us and what we represent. Because he does not play fair, he will use every weapon in his arsenal. Some of his favorite weapons are fear, doubt, depression, insecurities, distractions, among others, because he knows that if he can get God's people distracted and discouraged, he can keep them from taking advantage of God's grace, His favor, and His provisions.
It is no wonder that Peter encouraged us to be sober and be vigilant! In other words, be constantly alert and on guard. As he walks about, Satan is studying our every move. He knows our feelings and our tendencies, and informs himself of all our circumstances; only God can know more and do more than he. But we have God on our side, and because of that we do not have to be intimidated by the lion's roar.
As we go about our day to day business, let us be diligent and be aware of how Satan works. If we inform ourselves of his strategies, we will be in a much better position to handle the distractions when they come.
That Satan is up to no good is a recurring theme in the Scriptures. Jesus said of him, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). To put it bluntly, he is not our friend! He is not someone we want to befriend, nor is he someone that we want to entertain. As our adversary he not only opposes us in his best interests, but is also opposed to us and what we represent. Because he does not play fair, he will use every weapon in his arsenal. Some of his favorite weapons are fear, doubt, depression, insecurities, distractions, among others, because he knows that if he can get God's people distracted and discouraged, he can keep them from taking advantage of God's grace, His favor, and His provisions.
It is no wonder that Peter encouraged us to be sober and be vigilant! In other words, be constantly alert and on guard. As he walks about, Satan is studying our every move. He knows our feelings and our tendencies, and informs himself of all our circumstances; only God can know more and do more than he. But we have God on our side, and because of that we do not have to be intimidated by the lion's roar.
As we go about our day to day business, let us be diligent and be aware of how Satan works. If we inform ourselves of his strategies, we will be in a much better position to handle the distractions when they come.
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