3 Reasons for Giving Thanks

             You may know that the Bible teaches us to be thankful but have you ever wondered how many times it does? According to Biblegateway.com, in the NIV version the words “give thanks” appears 29 times, “gave thanks” appears 14 times and “thanksgiving” appears 30 times. To be mentioned that frequently, being thankful must be an essential part of Christian life. Let’s explore three reasons why that may be.  

Change Our Focus:

               We live in a world that is obsessed with possessions. We buy bigger and bigger houses to hold all of our stuff and then rent spaces where we can store even more. The philosophy of the material world is that whoever has the most toys, wins. People buy things they don’t need often with money they don’t have.

When we buy in to the philosophy that more is better, we focus on what we lack. We feel less than others because they have more. So we believe that if we only had this one thing, life would be better. When we get it, we strive for something else. The cycle continues while we remain unfulfilled.

               Yet, that is a distorted philosophy of value, especially for Christian living. As children of God, we are not defined by what we have but by whose we are. A focus on gratitude moves our thoughts from what we don’t have to appreciating all that we do have. God has blessed each and every one of us more than we could ever deserve. Reflecting on our blessings takes the focus off of us and places it on the Father, and on others, where it belongs. A life lived in thanksgiving is reflective of Paul. No matter his circumstances, be it luxury or poverty, he was content.

Shows Appreciation for Gifts

            Have you ever taken the time to give someone the perfect gift? My daughter has always been a thoughtful giver. When she was seven, she had me take her to different stores until she found just the right gift for her best friend’s birthday. She was so excited, filled with the anticipation of seeing her friend’s face. But at the party, her friend was caught up in the number of gifts she received. She opened my daughter’s , said a quick “thanks” and quickly moved to opening all of the rest. The disappointment my daughter felt was palpable.  

               God must be disappointed at times by our lack of response to His perfect gifts. He pours out His blessings on His children, yet, too often we fail to genuinely express our thanks to Him.

               We are, however, good at expressing our complaints about the gifts we don’t receive.  We sometimes forget that He was not created for us, to give us what we want. He created us for Him, to give Him the praise He so richly deserves. Living a life of thanksgiving demonstrates our appreciation for our Father and His wonderful gifts.

Reaffirms God’s Sovereignty

Life can be hard. It is filled with pitfalls and trials often it seems, at every turn. Living a life of thanksgiving, no matter the circumstances, reaffirms our faith in God’s sovereignty. If He is truly in control of all things than we can have faith that whatever circumstance we are going through, He has either ordained or allowed. We may not always have the wisdom to know why, but our faith gives us peace. As God is good, we can rejoice in all circumstances for whatever it is we are experiencing will be for good in due course.

Ultimately, God calls us to be thankful because a life truly lived in faith will be a life lived in gratitude. Gratitude is the outward manifestation of our inner joy in the Lord. So, let’s strive to live a life of “doing’ thankful instead of just “hearing” thankful. And when we do, to paraphrase 1 Peter, we should be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. For the world will see it and wonder.

©AnnWilds2011

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

Avoiding Roller Coaster Mishaps

Roller coasters are popular rides in amusement parks throughout the world. Amazingly, they are believed to have been built as early as the 15^th century.  While they can be great fun, they must still be treated with care. Over the years, mishaps have tragically caused irreparable harm to many.

Marriage, like a roller coaster, travels the track of life through highs and lows and across sudden twists and turns. Many expect to have the thrill of a relationship without taking the responsibility to care for it. But marriage, too, requires proper attention for it to traverse the rails safely.  A failed marriage can cause lasting damage to all of those involved.  

The source of roller coaster accidents are the very same ones that lead to marital problems.  They are caused by either rider misconduct or from a lack of maintenance.    

Rider Misconduct-

While all parties may behave poorly, it is only our own behavior that is within our control. Whether our roller-coaster car is going up or down on the track, the behavior we choose has a critical impact. We can either make a behavior choice that takes risks with our relationship or we can keep it secure by:

• Encouraging- Our words and actions should build our partner up, not tear them down. The world is already against them. We need to be the one who is always there for them, supporting and believing in them.
• Forgiving- Proverbs teaches us that it is a benefit to overlook an offense. This is especially true in a marriage.  Put it into regular practice, and once forgiven leave it in the past.
• Serving –We need to each have a servant’s heart for the other, giving thought to how we can make their day or situation better. It’s the little things that often have the biggest impact.

Regardless of circumstance, what we do or fail to do is completely up to us. We always have the power to behave well.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:23

Lack of Maintenance-

Rider conduct may rest with the individual, but maintenance is a two person job.  God intended marriage to be a relationship garden of Eden, a paradise for a husband and wife. He instructed Adam and Eve to “tend and guard and keep” the literal garden, so too must we tend and guard and keep our marriage.

• Dedicate time- Spend time together simply being a couple. This is not time to talk about the kids or our personal needs. Just be together. Life is crazy and it may be hard to find the time but marriage is the foundation of the family. When we neglect to give it attention, it becomes unstable. Be it five minutes or five hours, make it happen regularly.
• Remain unified- Keep the focus on what is best for the marriage. This may be different than our personal desires. We should not allow ourselves to be divided by the children or others nor should we hide things or keep secrets from each other. We are on the same team and need to act like it. 
• Pray for your marriage- Regular prayer for our marriage will ensure we are not in the roller coaster car alone. God will be right there with us. Pray not to change our spouse, but for us to be changed into the spouse they need to become everything God created them to be.   

When we provide our marriage with regular maintenace, we ensure that the roller coaster is free to travel the tracks smoothly. 

  

And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it.

Genesis 2:15 AMP

Message for the Journey:

Like a roller coaster, a marriage traverses the rails of life at breakneck speeds, traveling up and down and across unexpected twist and turns. The proper amount of care will keep it from risk. Choose to avoid rider misconduct while you partner with your spouse to afford regular maintenance to your marriage. Together you’ll be able to enjoy the delightful thrill of the ride without suffering tragic mishap.

©AnnWilds2011

How God Makes the Ordinary Beautiful

Rocks can often be found in my pockets when we're out enjoying nature. One will catch my eye and I'm drawn to pick it up and examine it. I especially enjoy river rocks.  I love to rub my fingers across their silky smoothness.  They don't begin that way though. Over time, ordinary rough stones are polished smooth by a combination of abrasion and water. 

Geologist and other rock enthusiasts will use a rock tumbler to mimic the natural polishing effect of oceans, rivers and streams. They place plain rocks, water and grit in the machine and end up with something beautiful.   

The elements of both liquid and friction are necessary to achieve the desired results. Coarse sand alone may rub away some imperfections, but the intense scraping will also scar and crack the stone. The addition of water allows just the right amount of abrasion to reveal the stone's burnished splendor.

Do you know someone who just rubs you the wrong way? Like sand, their personality is a constant irritant. God often brings sandpaper people into our lives as an opportunity to smooth away our own imperfections. They can be found anywhere—at school, in church, on the job and even in our family.

If we respond to their abrasiveness in our own strength, harmful levels of friction arise hurting one or both of us. But if we invite Living Water to cover the interaction, something special happens. God uses them to help turn our ordinary into something beautiful.   

Message for the Journey:

When faced with exasperating people who rub us the wrong way, we always have a choice in how we respond. Our natural choice is to react with irritation, but that option only leads to destruction. The better choice is to pray, asking God to join the interaction. Through his strength we grant them the same grace He has extended us.   

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

©AnnWilds2011

How to Keep Your Faith and Your Job

(The following first appeared in Living Redeemed Magazine- June edition)

Daniel’s job was affected by a hostile take-over. The new corporate leadership was completely foreign to him. They came with their own set of values and mission statements, turning everything upside down. Everything changed; Daniel was demoted and forced to make major sacrifices to keep his job. To make matters worse the new CEO was a tyrant; when something went wrong heads would roll. Always before, Daniel's faith had been an asset but under new leadership it was often a source of ridicule and disdain. Not a single one of the new team was a believer. It seemed as if everything that had been valued before no longer had meaning. But Daniel’s job was important to him, he believed he could forge a way to still succeed.   

Are you, like Daniel, surrounded by non-believers in your workplace? Are the actions and attitudes modeled around the office more anything goes than family values, where the water cooler talk makes you blush? Perhaps your boss is the worst of all. You may even have days where you wonder if, in fact, he just might be the devil in disguise.  If so you may find your Christianity viewed more as a liability than an asset. The challenge for a believer in a secular work environment is finding a way to live your faith and still succeed at your job.  Let’s take a closer look at how Daniel rose to the challenge. 

His story is one of more than just a simple corporate buy-out, his entire country was over-thrown. Many of us grew-up with Sunday school stories of how God saved Daniel in the lion’s den when he was being punished for being faithful in worshiping God. But there is other wisdom to be gained from studying his example.

To begin, let’s review his basic story.  As a young teen, Daniel was taken captive- along with most of the Jewish population of Jerusalem- and forced to live in exile in the foreign land of Babylon. Yet, Daniel did not let this experience defeat him. Not only did he survive his many years in Babylon, he thrived in them. A closer look at his story reveals seven lessons for Christian success in a secular workplace.

  

1.   Bloom where you are planted

No matter what your position, stand out by being the best that you can be. Perhaps you have been passed over for positions or have not received the recognition you deserve. Don't let that deter you. Daniel was nobility forced to become a slave, but he did not let the position he held impact the quality of the work he preformed. He was diligent at whatever he did. Model Daniel's workmanship; work hard and be an example to others. Every manager should want Christian employees for the quality of our work, not see us as lazy, difficult or unproductive. Because of his diligence, Daniel was promoted to ruler over the Babylonian province and placed over all the other wise men. Let your work speak for you.

  

2.   Respect the position

During his time in captivity, Daniel saw the reign of four different kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus. No matter which one was on the throne, Daniel gave the position the respect it warranted. Whether or not God lead you specifically to your place of employment, you are there now.  Daniel went from being free to a slave overnight yet he didn’t act resentful or angry, nor did he disregard what was important to the king even though the king was not his by choice. You are not a slave- although your job may make you feel that way on occasion- but you do have a chain of authority. Respect it. No matter which king, or manager, is in authority over you give them the respect the position warrants.   

3.   Communicate Life

There were many occasions where Daniel would have had just cause to have spoken angrily, but the Bible tells us he spoke with wisdom and tact; so should you. In business and personal relationships, gentle words spoken in wisdom open the doors of communication. Harsh words close them. Too often, we react in haste burning bridges instead of building them. Use words that build up your co-workers. Be the encourager on your team. Support your leader and new initiatives. In Daniel's time, his wisdom and tact saved lives. What might yours do?  

   

4.   Be Active in Prayer

Daniel prayed often and earnestly throughout his life. He even asked his friends to pray to grant him wisdom in his circumstance and for an interpretation of the king's dream. His prayer was answered. We aren't told all that he prayed for but it would be reasonable to assume he prayed for freedom for his people. Yet, his faith did not waiver when that prayer seemed to go unanswered. When you are troubled in any area of life, communication with God is the single most important step to take. You are never alone in your circumstance. Keep the prayer line open and in the on position all day. 

  

5.   Show Concern for Others

As Christians we are called to love the sinner but hate the sin. Daniel never retaliated against those who had greatly wronged him, even when in a position of authority to do so.  He even asked the king to spare the lives of the heathen wise men that were to be executed. He let vengeance remain with God. Treat everyone in your workplace with compassion and concern regardless of position. You may be the only example of Christ they will ever see.   

  

6.   Have Integrity in All You Do

When Daniel's enemies tried to find grounds to make charges against him, “they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt or negligent". Regardless of the integrity of your employer, your integrity should never be able to be called into question. Don't take short cuts in your work, don't take home office supplies, follow the rules. If you are paid to work eight hours, work all eight hours. Stand for what is true, honest and just in all things.

  

7.   Never Compromise Your Faith

There may be times where the corporate culture conflicts with your faith. If it does, don't be afraid to take a stand in a loving and respectful way. If the sales team wants to take a client to a gentleman's club, don't give in and go. What is more important, your soul or your job? Despite extraordinary risk, Daniel never failed to take a stand. He risked his life to ask to not eat the king’s choice food for it had been dedicated to pagan gods. He took a stand by not worshiping foreign gods. He took a stand by speaking up to the king. He took a stand by asking for the Chaldean’s lives to be spared. God's laws always triumph man's laws or corporate rules, if ever there is conflict. Stand strong. 

While Daniel’s experience was thousands of years ago, the lessons are still applicable today. Whatever work you do, do it as if for God. Would you give Him anything less than your best? Let the quality of your work and behavior speak for your character. As a believer, you are in the world but not of the world. Your office just may be the mission field God has called you to. Let your light shine. 

                                                                                                                                                                                         ©AnnWilds2011