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Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part Three
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).
Joy is a primary trait of giving thanks. It is enabled by having a good prayer life. We are to “pray without ceasing….”
Prayer is the natural consequence of friendship with God.
Henry J. Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Perhaps this is true. For those of whom it is true, it is a revelation that they have not established the right friendship with God.
To “pray without ceasing” doesn’t mean continuously occurring prayer, BUT constantly recurring. It means never to hang up the receiver, even if you are not talking. It means to always have your antenna up. Our practice of prayer may be intermittent, but the spirit of prayer must be incessant.
Constant prayer causes our mind to conceive and the child brought forth is WISDOM.
In times of crisis, we are prone to resort to prayer. In the Cuban missile crisis, America faced a pending disaster. Russian-made missiles in Cuba were found aimed at our cities. A naval blockade was set up. Confrontation seemed inevitable. People rushed to stores to stock up on medicine, food, and batteries. President Kennedy in an address to the nation appealed to all people to pray “in your homes, churches, and schools.” Even schools! Yes, the crisis forgets about improper laws. If we will pray in a crisis, why not in celebration.
If you are ever on a flight preparing for a crash and the pilot has time you will hear him say: “We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer.”
Don’t wait for a nose dive to pray.
Self-confidence apart from the right relationship with the Lord is one of our greatest hindrances. Associated-confidence is a sure way to victorious living. By this is meant aligning yourself with the will of the Father through prayer.
For example, the failure of Simon Peter at the time of the betrayal of Christ could not be attributed to insincerity or a lack of zeal. In good faith he loved Jesus. In good faith he would have died for Him. His failure grew out of a prayerless heart in the garden. As a result, he trusted his own strength to do what his own will dictated. If he had obeyed His Lord and prayed, this self-deception would have been avoided.
Prayer is not simply asking and receiving. It is also praise and thanksgiving and not just on Thanksgiving Day. Keep the communication channel open daily. It is the undergirding of joy.
Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part Two
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).
Three aspects of thanksgiving are noted in the text. Today and the next two days consider these traits. The three we relate to are all internal aspects of inner life.
We must have the capacity to express joy. Such is encouraged at the end of verse 28 it is “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” That is, God wants you to express joy. In each of these the modifier comes emphatically before the verb: Always rejoice, Continually pray, in everything give thanks.
Centuries earlier the prophet Nehemiah (8:10) said of Israel, in one of their greatest times of difficulty, “The joy of the Lord is thy strength.”
The angelic messenger shouted, “Joy to the world the Lord has come.” This isn’t a bonfire-pep-rally-kind-of-energy-of-the-flesh elation that soon fades. Neither is it a type of self-delusion brought about by not facing reality. Nor is it the synthetic kind mirrored by fake smiles and quoted slogans. It is a calm, consistent sense of well-being because all is well with the Father, even if ALL isn’t well in your world.
All was not well with the Christians who initially received this letter. They had “received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit” (I Thess. 1: 6). Notice they had “much affliction.” They are described in 2:14 as having “also suffered.”
The exhibition of joy amid suffering was one of the distinctive traits of the young church. It still characterizes a Spirit-filled believer.
This command is an imperative statement, an appeal to the will. It reminds us that we are in part responsible for maintaining an outlook filled with joy. It reminds us that Christian joy is not totally dependent upon externals, but is a result of the internal presence of the Holy Spirit and His being given control of our attitude.
Don’t be disappointed with yourself if you have had difficult times and have failed to rejoice. However, never be content to let such a spirit characterize you. For a Christian to remain sad, negative, or in a complaining mood is to break a command. It shows a basic mistrust of God: either His love, wisdom, or power.
To be around some people, even on their good days, is as cheering as diving into an icy lake. Don”t let the glow and glory of your today be polluted by the garbage of someone’s gloom. Don’t live in the valley of the humdrum. Move up to the mountains of joy.
Before His ascension our beloved Lord said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15: 11).
The elderly Apostle John wrote, “These things we write to you that your joy may be full” (I John 1:4).
Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part One
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).
With the approach of Thanksgiving and so much for which to be thankful let’s celebrate the holiday with hearts of gratitude.
Jesus had a word for unthankful people. He was very select in choosing the proper descriptive word for ingrate. In addressing the ungrateful farmer, whose bumper crop overfilled his barns, Jesus said to him, “Thou fool…” The Greek word employed by Dr. Luke (12:20) was “aphron” meaning “the lack of common sense perception,” or signifying “without reason.” It is simply reasonable to be thankful.
Our predecessors knew this and set aside a special day, called Thanksgiving, for the purpose of acknowledging thanks to God.
President George Washington issued the following presidential proclamation in 1789: “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor–and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God….”
It sounds like our first president knew the difference between separation of church and state and the employment of Biblical principles by a Christian statesman.
Jesus said it is “mindless,” the practice of a “fool” not to give thanks.
Not a theologian by any means, but a very delightful children’s character, Mr. Greenjeans, used to remind us of the two magic words: please and thank you.” They reach their zenith of meaning in regard to the Lord.
Francis Schaeffer, a true theologian once said, “The beginning of man’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.”
There is a modification of the little chorus, “It is me, it is me O Lord, Standing in the Need of Prayer.” For some it is simply now for some egotists. “It is me or Lord, it is me O Lord standing….” False self-sufficiency is self-defeating.
In the Old Testament 13 Hebrew roots, found in 27 different words, are used primarily for some aspect of joy or joyful. The Lord is the source of joy.
Pure joy is joy in the Lord as both its source and object. The psalmist said, “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures” (Ps 16:11).
The Royal Order of Edifiers: Part Four
Who is the person you know who needs edifying most? It might well be yourself. You can build up yourself by reminding yourself of great Bible promises.
You motivate someone when you give them a motive for their needed attitude or action. A motive is an urge within that incites action. When you build up a person you are giving them hope that produces proper action. Self-edification results from reminding yourself of great Bible truths.
Motivating people is easy compared to keeping them from de-motivating you. Use the Scripture as your shield.
When you depend on people to build you up you’ve given them the opportunity to tear you down. Look to the Lord as your source of encouragement. He never lets you down.
I talked to a widow recently who had not spent a night alone in their home since she and her husband moved in. He knew she was afraid to stay alone at night and had been her companion every night of their married life. At the time of his death she was all alone. She edified herself with the Scripture, “What time I am afraid I will trust in Him.” She has and told me her fears vanished. She edified herself with the Word of God.
Edify yourself and others with this truth: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows them that trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7).
Jesus Christ offers you this edifying invitation: “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
You don’t build bridges, you build people by giving them hope when it seems there is no hope. Hope is the bridge over which they walk to a new vista, a better outlook on their present condition and encouragement to face their future.
When the winds of adversity blow some people build shelters. Motivated people build windmills. Be a project manager for windmill construction.
Words of grace build people. Develop your uplifting word vocabulary. They are the right words spoken at the right time with the right spirit. They are words that affirm people and inspire hope.
We ought to build each other up with words of grace. Words of grace are the right choice of words spoken at the right time with the right spirit. Words of grace minister to others and meet their needs. These words express love, encouragement, acceptance and affirmation. Which of us is not built up in our spirit when we hear genuine words like, “I appreciate you.” “I love you.” “God has used you to minister to me.” “Thank you for your selfless spirit.”
Life is a race, a hard race. All along the path there are people about to drop out. A graphic is the person who comes along beside such a person, puts their shoulder under their arm and lifts them giving them hope to continue and even win their race.
Today (and every day) go out and find such a person and in the name of Jesus help them to race their best.
The Royal Order of Edifiers: Part Three
The Lord is at work “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body” (Ephesians 4: 12).
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.”
Perhaps by translating the Greek word for “corrupt” as “toxic” we might better understand it.
You need not only be careful what you say but where you say it. Solomon wisely said, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble” (Proverbs 21: 23).
An ageless axiom states: “Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life, and the neglected opportunity.”
We are very adept at exonerating and exempting ourselves. May the words of this message slip by the defenses of your mind and explode with reason therein.
The Scripture warns against slander. The Greek word translated “slander” literally means “devils,” or “diabolical.” There is no characteristic so unbecoming of a Christian as to deserve the title “devilish” as that of a slanderer.
The word means a gossip, defamer, one who smears, back-bites, or slurs another.
As an adolescent my Mom gave me a little hand written note which I kept in my wallet until I wore it out. It contained this great truth that has influenced my life: “A soft answer turns away wrath.”
Let all corrupt speech die under the holy breath of God.
We are to speak “what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (James 3: 29).
This is an appeal to let your tongue be sacred to what edifies.
Be careful in talking to or about youth. Build them up. Infants have confidence in their parents, grandparents, and others close to them. What they hear influences them dramatically. They tend to want to live up to what those they love say about them. If they hear negatives they come to believe them.”You are stupid” results in stupid conduct. “You are a bad boy” results in bad behavior.
Conversely, positive reinforcement results in good behavior.
One of the four things noted earlier that do not come back is “the neglected opportunity.” Don’t miss an opportunity to build up someone —– anyone.
You build people up by encouraging them to be their best and do their best at everything.
God does not require us to be the best at anything. He desires us to do our best at everything. Build people up to become and be their best for Christ. Christ did it.
He did it for little children by instructing His disciples to let them come to Him.
He did it for the woman caught in adultery by telling her she was forgiven and to go and sin no more.
He did it for Simon Peter after Peter’s denial by giving him the assignment to feed His sheep.
As Jesus’ proxy resolves to edify others, build them up.