Living Thankful!

Let me first say Happy Thanksgiving Day!  I hope your day is filled with God's presence, your loving friends and family, and lots of love...and maybe some football too!

I wanted to share a set of scriptures that should change the way we live.  For those that attend Victory Church, this will be a reminder to you.  For those that don't, I pray it directs your attitudes!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Rejoice always,
¹⁷ pray without ceasing,
¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

The words "Rejoice" and Pray" are in  the  present imperative active which means that Paul is commanding a persecuted congregation that they should continually celebrate and keep a spirit of prayer in their lives.  These two verses specifically reference the rest of their time on earth.  Note the words "always" and "without ceasing.  This alone is challenging - don't ever let anything get in the way of your worship and prayer.  No matter how hard it is, persevere!

After this, Paul gives another continuous command to the persecuted congregation when he wrote, "in everything give thanks". This command deals with every circumstance in our life. Christians are to give thanks to God in every circumstance of life. This does not mean we are thankful for the pain, rejection, or trial.  Rather, we are thankful for certain things in the midst of the trial.  This one truth lived out would categorically remove complaining from our lives.

Examples of this truth lived out would include:

 

• I might not be thankful for my lack of money - but I can be thankful for my salvation, and the lessons I am currently learning
• I might not be thankful my Grandfather is in the hospital - but I can be thankful he is getting better and that he is a child of God.
• I might not be thankful people ridicule me for at work because of my faith...but I am thankful I can be a light!

Finally, note the phrase Paul states next, "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  I don't know how God could have put it any plainer.  Let's heed this command of thankfulness and make this a lifestyle change instead of a holiday!

P.S. - Don't eat too much Turkey - it will make you sleep the day away :)