A Thankful Perspective

By Peter Lundell –

I often think of how in their first year the Pilgrims lost 50 percent of their group to starvation and disease. They suffered unimaginably (partly by their own bad timing of arriving in the fall), but none wanted to go back to England. A year later they celebrated a time of thanksgiving.

The folks in Jamestown, thirteen years before them, also suffered unimaginably, and they all wanted to go back to England. They never once observed a time of thanksgiving.

There’s a reason for this. Beyond all the details of each settlement’s history, Jamestown was settled for economic reasons. Their eyes were on wealth, and the survivors found little of it. Who would be thankful? In contrast, Plymouth was settled by people who wanted freedom of worship. Their eyes were on heaven, and the survivors experienced God’s deliverance. They found much to thank God for.

Thankfulness and a right perspective on life do not go together by accident.

When I’m thankful I tend to have an honest view of my life and what I have, and when I’m not thankful I only think of what I don’t have.

When I’m thankful I tend to see God at work, and when I’m not thankful I see myself struggling.

When I’m thankful I think of others, and when I’m not thankful I think only of me.

When I’m thankful I worry less than when I’m not. Simply choosing to be thankful leads me to find things to be thankful about.

If for no other reason, it’s worth being thankful just to get a right perspective in life. Thankfulness nurtures a healthy heart and mind.

BIBLE VERSE: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4–5 NIV).

PRAYER: My Father in Heaven, lead my heart to feel with thankfulness. Lead my mind to think with thankfulness. Open my eyes to see beyond myself—to what You are doing and how I am a part of it.

Good Mood Food

By Donna McCrary –

“Now that is good mood food!”

This was the last line of my eight-year-old’s writing assignment, describing his favorite food – pizza. Either he is watching too much TV, borrowing the slogan from the most recent “Arby’s” commercial, or his spelling words for the week focused on the “oo” sound. As the parent, I prefer the spelling word explanation.

As a Christian, I prefer the good-mood-food version of the Bible. I like the scriptures that promise “the peace of God, that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), “your joy may be complete” (John 15:11), and “He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). These are good-mood-food scriptures; the ones we claim and celebrate because they make us feel good. But, if scripture is food for our spiritual diet, what happens when we live on dessert alone?

Heavier, more challenging scriptures, fiber-laden-scriptures if you will, don’t qualify as good-mood-food, but they serve a far greater purpose in our spiritual diet. The verses that challenge us to renew our corrupt minds; to love the unlovable; to forgive the unforgivable; to extend grace; to take a stand against the traditions of this world; to hold each other accountable; to speak the truth in love, even when it comes at the cost of rejection; oh, these scriptural truths don’t taste good and they don’t go down easy!

Recently, when faced with a troubling situation, I searched God’s Word for guidance. What I discovered in scripture was not good-mood-food. Nothing in me wanted to love someone who had hurt the people I loved or wanted to let go and truly forgive. I struggled to even be in the same room as this person.

This is where the tough-to-swallow-scriptures spoke, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). That is not good mood food!  But it is God’s Word! I must consume a balanced diet of all scriptures, not just the good-mood-food. This is the only way to experience a healthy spiritual life.

You can’t live on good mood food alone. You have to add some tough to swallow fiber to your spiritual diet!

PRAYER: God, thank You for your goodness and Your promises that I claim and celebrate. Help me learn to live out Your Word daily even when it is not the easy, feel good choice.

BIBLE VERSE: “Jesus himself said, ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4 NIV).

 

What Will You Do With Tomorrow?

By Jarrod Spencer –

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re only a day away.”

Most of you probably know that line comes from one of the main songs on the movie “Annie.” Tomorrow allows freedom. Freedom to start over. Freedom to have a new set of 24 hours. A new set of 1440 minutes. A new set of 86,400 seconds.

How we use each “tomorrow” is up to us. Most days, “tomorrow” is something I look forward to because I enjoy my job. Only a few days, job or otherwise, do I not look forward to its arrival.  Either way, it is still a new day, and you can do with it however you wish. This brings us to this quote by Lyndon B. Johnson, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose.”

Tomorrow is not here yet. Yesterday has already past and you cannot change that. Now is present and you can choose how you deal with the choices you face. However, what will you do with tomorrow? How will you make it a great day? How will you make someone else’s “tomorrow” great? What will you do? Wave, smile, buy lunch/dinner, etc.???

Go and make someone’s tomorrow great!

PRAYER: Thank You for my “tomorrows.” May I use them to glorify You, to point people to You, and make others’ tomorrows be better by how I reflect You to them.

BIBLE VERSE: “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV).

Opinion Versus Fact

By Carin LeRoy –

Sitting in a courtroom recently as a prospective juror, 24 of us were asked questions and expected to give truthful answers. Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys were seeking  people who would give an impartial judgment on the case.

In the courtroom, the judge over the proceedings was seated high above everyone, giving him an aura of authority and control. His words were to be heeded, and when he spoke, everyone listened. We were to judge the case by the facts – not opinion or bias.

How many of us live life by our opinion, how life appears to be, or what others think of us, rather than the facts God presents to us in scripture?

Opinion: God can’t forgive me for all the things I’ve done.
Fact: “As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us” (Psalm 103:12 NET).

Opinion:  It’s okay to tell a little white lie.
Fact: “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22 NIV).

Opinion: I don’t have gifts God can use.
Fact: “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 4:10 NET).

Opinion: God doesn’t have a purpose for my life.
Fact: “For I know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NET).

Opinion: I can’t forgive what that person has done to me.
Fact: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

Let’s remember to look at what God says. He has the final word, and His truth can be trusted. We look at the facts of scripture and take God at His word, by faith.

PRAYER: Lord, Help me to check my thoughts, attitudes and actions against scripture so that they are consistent with the truth of Your word. Help me to learn how wrong thinking can affect my life. Give me a heart that follows after You.

BIBLE VERSE: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

The Fruity Faithful

By Robin J. Steinweg –

If the world calls me fruity, it’s an insult. But if God says I’m full of fruit, it means I’m glorifying Him; I’m doing what Christ chose and appointed me to do!

How can I make my life fruitful? A tree can’t force itself to bear fruit. It can only take in light, rain and nutrients. Fruit comes naturally.

Here’s how I can cooperate with God’s design in order to be one of the fruity faithful:
Need—agree with God that I need His Son’s gift of salvation. “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20b NIV).

Feed—surround myself with good spiritual growing conditions, especially those that will change my thinking. “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2b NIV).

Seed—the good seed is God’s Word: I can nurture it. “…and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21).

Plead—be in communication with the Lord throughout my day. “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV).

Deed—reading my Bible is good, but I can take it a step further and act on it. “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV).

Weed—get rid of the things that choke the life out of my growth in Christ. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things” (Colossians 3:8a).

Freed—I can live bountifully! “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galations 5:1 NIV).

PRAYER: Lord, I desire to bear fruit that lasts, for Your glory. Thank You that You provide everything I need for this. I choose to feed, seed, plead, deed, weed, be freed—and trust You for the results.

BIBLE VERSE: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).

 

 

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