Thankable

I say thank you a lot. Every time I’m in a checkout line I purposely look at the person’s name so that when they hand me my receipt I can say “thank you, Gertrude.”

About two weeks ago Angela and I went to Chili’s and I must have said thank you to the waitress no less than 15 times in the 35min we were there. I even say thank you when I get pulled over by the police and given a ticket.

While being polite is great, Jesus tells us that real thankfulness should be in response to something extraordinary.

Luke 17:9 (The Message) Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him?

Luke 17:9 (New Living Translation)  And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not.

To receive a “Thank you”, you must do something Thankable!

When was the last time you did something thankable? Jesus tells us that we need to do more than what is required of us.

Matthew 5:40-41 (New Living Translation)  If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.  If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.

When we live a life of doing more than is required, when we act out of kindness and not obligation, people will respond with thankfulness and gratitude.

Are you a thankful person? Do you recognize those times in your life when someone gave more or did more than was required? Did you thank them?

 

Wisdom

Often our daily choices don’t matter very much; what to wear, where to eat lunch. Other times, our choices are extremely important and affect our lives in a big way. It requires wisdom to know the difference.

While we are going through a trial, when we are facing trouble in our lives, our choices are very important. In those moments, what we choose can have far reaching effects in our lives and in the lives of other people. In these times, it requires wisdom to make the right choices.

James 1:2-5 (New International Version)
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James tells us that when we face a trail, we should ask for wisdom. Often times the trails we face do not require a miraculous move of God to save us, they simply require us to make wise choices and act wisely.

To gain victory over the trial, you are going to have to have wisdom to know what you should do. You must live, behave, and make choices wisely. Asking for wisdom implies there is more to overcoming your trail than God delivering you from it.

Many times we do not need to ask God to deliver us from our circumstances, we need to ask for wisdom how we should live – which will overcome and avoid these circumstances.

Wisdom Is More About Action Than Knowledge!

James 3:13 (New International Version)
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Wisdom isn’t about what you know, but about how you live. Our learning should never lead to mere knowledge, but it should always lead to action.

Knowledge isn’t wisdom. It’s possible to be a very intelligent fool.

True Worship

Many people think of worship as music. For those of you who can sing, you don’t mind this. For the rest of us, it’s not fair.

People would describe me as a prison singer. I’m always behind a few bars and I can’t find the key.

Fortunately for me, worship is more than music, is a lifestyle. It’s more about who you are than what you do.

Romans 12:1 – And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

What you SACRIFICE for is what you are worshiping.

We are all limited human beings. We have limited time, energy, and resources. As a result, we pick and choose how we spend our time, energy, and resources. Do you sacrifice your family for your career? Maybe in your worship of golf or sports you sacrifice your marriage.

Exodus 20:3-5 – You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

Do you spend your time focused on entertainment or developing your relationship with God? Do you sacrifice worshiping Sunday morning for the chance to sleep in?

If there is anything you have put before God? What is it that you worship?