Gratefulness: When It's Hard

This morning, our pastor preached a sermon about thankfulness, and one particular thought about thankfulness resonated with me like it never has before. It was a concept that was drawn from I Thessalonians 5:18, which says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Now, this was not the first time that I had heard this verse, but two words really struck me: in everything. I say this because, in my mind, I thought that I was being thankful for everything that God had sent my way. However, knowing something in your head is totally different than believing it in your heart and living it every moment of your life. Through this truth, God began to convict me of areas of my life in which I was not exercising gratefulness. I would like to share these areas with you and challenge you to accept those areas that God may be prompting you to be grateful for in your life.

The first area in which God has impressed upon me is the area of friendships and relationships. I thought that I truly valued relationships, but I gained a new appreciation for them when my cousin passed away a couple weeks ago. Out of anyone in my life, I would never have expected that he would have been the one to pass away at this stage in his life. He was a very relational person, and touched many lives in the 22 years that he lived here. Relationships were a priority in his life. Are they a priority in your life? Don't get trapped in the mentality that says, I've got plenty of time to build relationships in life. First, I'll get my life started, and the I'll start building relationships and investing in the lives of others. Listen folks: we're not even entitled to live another minute! There's no guarantee that you'll wake up the next morning when you go to bed at night. You only have a limited amount of time and resources here on this earth. The question is, what are you going to do with that time and resources that will outlive you? Relationships are one of the only things in life that will last after a person passes away. Please, take your relationships seriously, especially the ones with your family. You can't know whether or not you will have another day to spend with them. Why not make the most of the time you currently do have?

A second area in which I would encourage you to be grateful is the area of personal inadequacies. This really impacted me because I am in the middle of a situation right now that feels out of my control. I really feel helpless and overwhelmed by the situation. However, it is in the middle of these situations that God is able to demonstrate his grace. This is because He is not able to help us if we don't have any inadequacies. He would love to help us, but He can't until we come to the point that we realize we can't handle this situation on our own. I'm so inspired by what Paul said in II Corinthians 12:9, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It is a helpless feeling when we arrive at this spot, but we all must learn to realize, like Paul, that this is exactly the place where Christ can display his power through our lives.

So, my challenge to y'all is this: pick two or three things that you wouldn't normally feel grateful for, or that you don't want to be grateful for, and look for ways to be thankful for them. And, if you can't think of anything else, at least these situations will allow you to look forward to heaven all the more!

Giving until it hurts: Lessons from a Widow woman

In my personal devotions, I have been reading through the accounts of the Kings in the Old Testament. One day, I read the story about Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in I Kings 17. I was familiar with the story, but the Lord gave me a new insight that was very powerful to me.

Before we delve into the text, I want you to get the setting. In the beginning of chapter 17, Elijah told King Ahab that the dew and rain would cease. Once he had done so, the Lord directed him to a brook, where he lived by the Lord's provision for a while. After the brook dried up, however, Elijah was directed to go to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city, he saw a woman gathering sticks. Let's begin at the end of verse 10.

"And he [Elijah] called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her; Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son." (I Kings 17:10b-13) Elijah then proceeded to tell the woman that her meal would not waste and her oil would not run out until the day that it rained again.

Now, think about it for a minute. This was a poor widow. She had one son, and enough food left for one meal for both of them. Along comes a stranger (a foreigner at that) and asks her for food before she fixes a meal for her and her son. Granted, the stranger promises that she won't run out of food, but how can he guarantee that? Even more than that, how did she even know that it would ever rain again? But what does she do? She obeys him! Instead of disregarding what he said, she had faith and gave him all that she had. She refused to withhold her last food from her guest, and the Lord blessed her with provision for her obedience. 

Later on in the story, the woman's son became ill. In fact, he became so ill the Scriptures say that "there was no breath left in him." In her anguish. the woman asks Elijah if he was sent to "call her sin to remembrance, and to slay her son." Instead of trying to comfort or dissuade her, Elijah tells her, "Give me thy son." Now, what mother who has a dying son would be willing to give him up to anyone? However, she allowed Elijah to take her son away from her. Because of her submission, her son was healed, and she came to believe that Elijah was a true prophet of God. 

Is there something you are holding to that you don't want to let go? Do you have a person, a hope, or an idea that you are trusting in for your survival? Or perhaps you are tempted to place your trust in an object or person for your comfort, security, and happiness. If this is the case, I encourage you to remember the faith of the widow of Zarephath. Put your trust completely in the Lord, and lean on him for your future. I know this sounds cliché, but it is the truth! (Prov. 3:5-6) Once we are willing to give up our way for God's way, He is free to do miracles with our lives. 
                                                         

Spiritual Distractions, and Lessons from the Sheep

This morning in Sunday School, our class was going through the first part of John 10. I was very blessed by the spiritual insights that Jesus gave us through the behavior of sheep. However, one point that our teacher made especially impacted me. He was explaining verses 4-5, which say, "And when he [the shepherd] putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." Our teacher told the class that, to the sheep, the strangers are essentially "background noise." They are something that is clamoring for the attention of the sheep, but it is not given because the sheep are so attuned to the voice of their master that they will only follow him.

Such a level of trust on the part of the sheep is amazing, but this relationship is possible only through the following aspects:

• The sheep have spent large amounts of time with the shepherd, and have come to have an implicit trust in his leadership, because he always leads for their good.
• The sheep have listened many times to the voice of the shepherd. In fact, they are so familiar with the voice of the shepherd that they instantly recognize it from the voices of others. 
•  Because the sheep implicitly trust the shepherd, they will follow him wherever he leads them.
• Notice what verse 4 says about the shepherd: "he goeth before them [the sheep]." The shepherd will not take the sheep anywhere that he is not willing to take himself.

I was so blessed when I finally came to understand these truths. So often in life, I find myself questioning my life decisions. Is this where God wants me, or should I be doing something else? Is this right, or is it wrong? The answer lies in the response of the sheep to the shepherd. Our spiritual Shepherd is Christ (see John 10:11), and He will never lead us anywhere that He Himself would not go. Hebrews 13:5b tells us, "I [God] will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Furthermore, He always leads His sheep in places that are for their benefit (see Romans 8:28).

How is this relationship accomplished? It occurs when His sheep (believers) spend time with Him, and learn to hear for His voice. God speaks through His word (II Peter 1:20-21) and through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:17). We learn to recognize His voice when we spend time with Him praying, reading His word, and waiting on Him.

I want to be like that sheep. I want to implicitly and blindly follow the voice of Christ wherever He may lead me. I want to know His voice so well that I can identify it in the middle of a thousand other voices seeking to lead me astray. I encourage you, fellow believers, to pursue the same thing. Don't be discouraged when your Bible reading and prayer time seem worthless. Through these exercises, you are learning to discern the voice of your Shepherd! If you hear his voice leading you through a difficult place, follow Him in trust. After all, He's already been there, so it must be safe for you to be there too. I encourage you to hear your Master, and follow Him alone!  

Insights from a Study on American Literature

As some of you may know, I am currently in college. Recently, I finished a period of study on the subject of American Literature. It consisted of book/video/slideshow study before a test, just like many of the previous tests that I have taken; but it made a deep impact on me. American Literature had such a good start. There were godly historians like William Bradford and Cotton Mather, and godly poets like Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet. Sadly, though, the history of American literature is a nearly universal decline from spirituality to hopelessness, confusion, pain, and bitterness. Many modern pieces of literature deal with themes that are very unedifying and depressing. They are filled with infidelity, hate, alcohol, drugs, brokenness, instability, and anger.

Many modern pieces of literature are sad; however, what makes them even more saddening is that they are often a mirror of the life of the author. Many of the authors came from homes situations where they were unloved, mistreated, endangered, and hurt. They were looking for something to ease the pain and emptiness in their lives, but instead of finding  peace and security in Christ, they vented their feelings and ideas to the world around them.

What a blessing we have to be born in a home where our parents love and support each other, where the truth is taught, and where we are protected from so many of the evils around us! If you have experienced that, please don't take it for granted or downplay it. I have done it far too many times, and I don't want to continue to do so!

In closing, I believe that this study of American literature has taught me a lot about the hopelessness of people around me. Many times, I feel that I am sheltered from much of the pain of live that many others experience daily. However, this study of American literature was a stark reminder that there are people who are living pain-filled and empty lives. I challenge you to look for those people around you, and let God use you to expose them to hope in their painful world.

P.S.
If you happen to come from a home situation where you experienced some of these things and you are looking for purpose and fulfillment in life, I have good news for you. All the desires that we have for love, fulfillment, pleasure, security, and individual worth can be fulfilled in Christ. He loved us so much he was willing to take a death penalty for us while we were still in rebellion against Him (Rom. 5:8). Colossians 2:10 tells us, "And ye are complete in Him (Christ) [complete meaning to be abundantly filled and made complete (Strongs)]. Christ tells us in Matthew 11, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We can be secure because He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6). I Peter 2:9 tells us that those who follow Christ are a "peculiar people" (people that are for a possession [Strongs]). So if you feel like your life is worthless and that it can't get any worse, talk to Jesus about your problems. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that He can relate to the experiences we face in life. He is easily able to help you with your biggest problems.

Your Labor is Not in Vain!

Have you ever felt like the "fifth wheel" on the vehicle of kingdom living? I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel that I am not much of a contribution to the Lord's work where I am at in life. Here I am, going to work a couple days a week, spending a lot of time studying for college, attending church functions, and spending time with my family. Why can't I be somewhere rebuilding homes demolished by a hurricane, or counseling people who are hurting, or spending time with insecure and wounded children? Can the things I am doing right now really be called "kingdom works"?

Recently I was feeling a bit like the description in the previous paragraph. I was tempted to think, "What am I accomplishing in my spiritual life?" Then, last Sunday evening, one of my brothers at church shared a verse that spoke volumes to me. It was I Corinthians 15:58 which says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (emphasis added)

I was thinking about that verse tonight, and it just blessed me tremendously. It doesn't matter if I'm still at home with my parents and family, taking part in church and youth functions, and working at a job. As a Christian, my labor is not in vain in the Lord. That is, all the work that I do or have ever done for Him was not wasted.

I would insert a word of caution, however. Do not use this verse to excuse living a Biblical lifestyle. Notice the one part of the verse that says, "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." This insinuates that the person this verse is talking about is already living a yielded Christian life.

So, if you feel that your life as a Christian is not a profitable one, take courage! You may not feel like the most successful servant of the Lord, or even the most profitable or useful. It doesn't matter! Your work as a Christian is not in vain! You may not be an evangelist. You may not lead a million souls to Christ during your life. Does that mean that you should not strive for these things? Absolutely not! It is important to seek to accomplish great things for God; however, our definition of great things may not always be the same as God's definition. In Matthew 10:42, He promises a reward to those who give only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple. Therefore, our works for God can range from preaching to a million souls to simply giving a glass of water in Jesus' name.

So, my fellow Christian, if you feel that you are an insignificant and useless part of God's kingdom, do not be discouraged. Instead, persevere in the Lord's work and the Christian life, because your labor is not in vain.

Worship

Our Sunday school class at church has been going through the book of John, and right now we are in the middle of John chapter 4. A couple weeks ago, we studied verses 22-24, which talk about worship. I was tremendously blessed by the study, and I want to share with you some of the things that were impressed upon me about worship.

First, worship is not about getting, it is about giving. Far too often, my tendency is to come to church and get spiritually recharged for the next week. While this thinking is not wrong, it is not worship. Psalm 96:7-8 says, "Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the L\ORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts." Worship is all about giving the Lord what He is due. It's like the moment when we are searching the scriptures for direction/comfort, and a verse jumps out that totally fits the situation. That calls for worship.

This runs into our second point: worship is an act of gratefulness. Jesus said, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Not only must we worship Him by following His commandments, we must have the proper attitude of worship. It would be the response of a slave who discovers his master has bought him to set him free. It is showing gratefulness for an action that was totally unmerited by the recipient.

I would like to encourage you: cultivate an attitude of worship. Think often about the great blessings God has given you that you don't deserve. You are educated enough to be able to read this, and understand it. You are affluent enough to have access to a computer and the internet so that you can read this. You have been given the gift of life today, something you totally didn't deserve. Think about these things, and worship the God Who gave them to you.