Let Us Be
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11
Within the inspired words of God, God tells us how he accomplishes great feats. The methods God uses to bring about his desires have been passed down from the father to his son and then Jesus taught the same methods to his disciples. In the same way your father taught you how to approach life God is instilling in you a method of absolute attributes to approach eternal life.
We need to consider eternal life means you have to approach life that will last forever and whatever you do today will affect your life a million years from now. How do we live eternally without the principles of holiness that God lives by? The principles developed by God are guided within a way of absolute principles that does no harm to other living beings.
In the long run any life acceptable to God is the difference between good and evil and what is right and what is wrong. God’s basic philosophy is you can’t be both at the same time because walking on both sides of life would lead to confusion. The realm we currently live in is the proof of God's thinking.
In our lifetime we have the opportunity to live on both sides of good and evil, but the decisions we choose to live by are guided the outcome these attributes produce. No one likes to be made a slave or be taken advantage of through the decisions another person makes. Each person is sovereign in the fact they have the right and the authority to live as we see fit and we do not have the wisdom to choose the right attributes to guide our lives forever.
When our ways are wrong, people will find those faults and expose them. At the same time can you find fault with God and has he done anything that has harmed you? The natural condition of man is to rebel from the authority God has given to parents and anyone who has authority over them.
Within the autonomy of our sovereignty each person possesses is a method of right and wrong and good and evil that determines what is fair just and right to us. The way people govern their life affects our life by what they have done. Their ways are governed by their thoughts but their ways are judged by their deeds.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7
How can we be found right with God without considering his ways since no one has found fault in him? God created us and has embedded in us that there is a life after we pass on. We must consider what eternal life is and are we prepared to liove and function right before an awesome God who governs his life through holiness.
God also embedded in the mind of every person that he exists and has the sovereignty to rule everything in his creation. To the first of his person of his creation referring to Adam God said;
You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17
God’s command to Adam was meant to be obeyed and disobedience to God’s command made Adam subject to the penalty of death. However the shrewd serpent countered God’s command with his own opinion and stated man was able to make decisions without God’s guidance.
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman." For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5
Adam and Eve mankind was given the right to disobey God and the right to choose between good and evil. They chose to go against the command of God without fully understanding the consequence of their actions. It appears that Satan's overwhelmed Eve when she chose to eat choosing to be like God knowing good and evil.
Does mankind know God has the right to do with mankind as he sees fit or know he is subject to his creator? In his holiness God deals with sin (deeds against his principles is a crime against God's holiness) will be dealt with harshly. For the most part mankind has chosen to ignore God when knowing God is the whole purpose of life itself.
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3
No one has the wisdom to seek God without first having a personal relationship with him. God said my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. Because God is eternal he thinks in ways that will endure forever. God chooses to work with mankind through covenants to form an agreement with you so everything works together for the common good. For this reason every Christian should learn as much as possible about God to understand his thoughts and ways in preparation for the day we enter heaven.
To explain God’s ultimate goal God sent his son into theworld to reveal what God has planned and to teach mankind God’s principles. He also made it plain that that his father’s will was more important than his.
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42
God has given you a choice to obey with the consequence of knowing that if you don’t repent you will perish. With the choice to acknowledge God, God will make every effort to work out your salvation with him. God works through a covenant with you that is not one sided. God recognizes you as a person and will respond to your needs through prayer. He will do unto you what he wants you to do to him.
Through love His system is just and acceptable to mankind. God has a concern for the needs of those who choose to walk with him and will respond to you in love. In his covenant with you God treats you as his son and says;
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3
It was a part of Jesus’ testimony that he was sent by the father to complete several specific tasks. His tasks were to become a sacrifice of atonement; to redeem and reconcile man to God and freely justify man by the grace of God. In addition Jesus taught us how to live by faith and participate in the divine nature. The reality of his life was a demonstration that man could live in a sinful world and overcome the world through the love of God.
God anointed Jesus as the coming Messiah and Christ to make man aware of God and how his plan would affect mankind in the coming age. His plan was to introduce a holy way of life, put an end to sin, to atone for the sins of the world and prepare mankind for eternal life. Jesus plainly said he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. In addition he spoke of the seriousness of God’s plan and warned mankind unless you repent you too will perish (Luke 13:5).
Jesus also spoke to those who believed in his name of the need to be born of the spirit. The born again experience is eye changing transition from seeing things from the world’s point of view to seeing life from God’s position. Eternal life demands decisions that will remain stable for millions of years and produce a positive attitude for a life of absolutes. A life of absolutes means that you learn how to things within a disposition of a love taking positive steps to insure that you do unto others as you would want them do to you.
God accredited Jesus with signs and wonders to confirm his divine nature. At the same time Jesus humbled himself to become the servant whom God was well pleased with. Some say it thundered and others say it was the voice of God when the Son was glorified by God. On the other hand the son glorified the father through obedience even to his death on the cross.
Love and obedience is a basic attitude that pleases God and that character trait was seen in the life of Christ. His testimony of complete devotion to God was revealed in these words;
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." John 12:49-50
Jesus told a parable concerning our obedience;
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:46-48
The commands of every father are due to the problems he has experienced during his life time and his commands are meant to keep his children from harm. It follows that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Ezekiel wrote;
I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. Ezekiel 20:11
Jesus also said;
"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. Mark 4:24
The desire to pay attention to what God says is important to our lives. Jesus did not come to Lord it over mankind he came as a tutor; a leader who would lead you to the narrow gate. He chose to become a servant who did the will of the father knowing that God does not want anyone to perish.
Jesus was sent to those whose ears were stopped up and refuse to listen to the gospel message. Yet as the scripture says they perish because they refuse to come to Jesus to have life (John 5:40) and refuse to love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10) rather delighted in wickedness.
Jesus came to bear witness to the “whosoevers” of the world that they may take part in God’s plan of salvation. To God there is neither Jew nor gentile for in God’s eye all men were chosen from creation to become a child of his kingdom. He taught once born into the kingdom God takes on a parental role that teaches his children to become like Christ and rule with Christ in the ages to come.
Jesus did not teach his disciples to live for the temporal life but to produce fruit for eternal life. Jesus said life not the abundance of worldly possessions but eternal life was in knowing God the father and Jesus who was sent into the world. Jesus focused on teaching us to love God with all our heart and to pay attention to things above where true life abounds.
Because Jesus testified to the wickedness of man he was hated without reason and bore the insults of man. The builders of God’s kingdom tried to kill the Son and condemned him for blasphemy claiming to be the Son of God. According to the High Priest it was better for one man to die than the whole nation perish (John 11:50). However it was God’s plan for his son to die as an atonement sacrifice so all men may be reconciled and come to the saving grace of God.
God’s plan continues to this day because Jesus gave his life once for all. Those who believe in his name have hope in his resurrection and a future in heaven.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14
The methods God used to bring about his desires have been passed down from the father to his son and those methods were taught his disciples. Jesus came in the father’s name (John 5:43) and performed miracles in his father’s name (John 10:25). Jesus came in his father’s name and today Jesus is asking his disciples to come in his name.
Jesus became our high priest and king in service to God. He was also given a kingdom in which he was given all authority. With these actions Jesus taught us how to participate in God’s divine nature through faith in his promises. Jesus promised that we may ask anything in his name through prayer and he would do it as if he was continuing to be our servant.
Grace Through Christ
Understanding how to work with Christ through prayer is an effort to recognize the demeanor that Jesus walked by. Jesus had a personal relationship of being one with the father. Jesus said he was in the father as the father was in him which spoke of abiding in one another. Every Christian begins their spiritual walk with Christ by asking Jesus to come into their heart. Since Jesus and the father are united as one, both come and take up residence in our spirit by faith. Jesus said I will not leave you as orphans (John 14:18) which spoke of the adoption as sons of the living God.
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23
Is it possible that the father and Son would abide in us as parents and in the role as spiritual mentors who will guide you into all truth? Jesus continued his discussion about abiding in him well into the fifteenth chapter speaking of the need to remain, stay and unite in Christ. Within this chapter Jesus used the example of the vine’s need to produce fruit. Jesus said separated from the vine you cannot produce fruit as we are dependent on the nourishing sap derived from the root.
The sap of the vine nourishes the branches and cause new growth with buds that produce the fruit. The sap Jesus spoke of is the word of God that overflows with truth. His word convinces you of God’s righteousness and the need to put his principles into practice. Jesus also spoke of the need to let his word abide in you abundantly and by doing so develop a personal relationship with him.
Within this relation Christians have a means to know how he walked and why he was in constant contact with his father.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14
All of us have ended our prayers in the name of Jesus expecting what we asked for will come in answer to our prayer. Jesus said the only condition was to believe in the name of Jesus while cultivating a healthy respect for the holy nature of God. This promise may seem like a carte blanche type of authority however God demands obedience to his commands as we do from our children. However there is also a condition to unite with God through a trust that believes in the absolute faithfulness of his word.
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24
Jesus said whatever you ask for in prayer; believe that you have received what you asked for. Let me try to explain; isn’t customary to show appreciation for gifts given to you? Consider that thanking God for the things you have asked for when he gives them to you is a demonstration of your faith in him.
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. John 14:13
Believing is the confidence that you have whatever you askedby faith. The proof of belief is in your testimony demonstrates gratitude to God for his mercy in our time of need. Consider that the glory God receives comes from your mouth in the hearing of others. Your gratitude also edifies the body of believers. In this manner his answer to our prayer brings glory to the father.
Jesus Said he would answer your prayer so the Son may bring glory to the Father. The glory Jesus spoke of the glory that comes in your thanksgiving sworn before believers and unbelievers alike. The words of your testimony say it is not per chance or a coincidence but God is responsible for giving what you needed through prayer. However to the world it is something they need to hear and know that God is real and answers prayer.
Although prayers can become a ritual the purpose of prayer is to give glory to the Father. Ending our prayers in the name of Jesus may not refer to the name we invoke. Rather in the name of Jesus refers to remaining in Christ and being united with him in word and deed. It speaks of a intimate relationship with God.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. Ephesians 2:19-20
We are speaking of a family relationship built from time in the presence of each other being strengthened by love for one another. Love is what holds a family together and compels acts of love for one another. God answers our prayer because he loves us and we obey him out of the respect we have for his authority. The golden rule applies in both cases; we obey him because he first loved us and he rewards us to show his love for doing good deeds for him.
Something miraculous happens just by being in Christ, we absorb his character and the nature of our father that compels us to obey his word and walk as his son did. Bearing fruit demands we remain in the branch for we are nourished by our father’s love and strengthen by the truth our father teaches. In other words bearing fruit is due to our nourishment coming from the root. John 15 taught being united with Jesus so you may bear fruit but Jesus also said separated from the branch it wasn’t feasible to produce fruit. +
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:7-8
Remaining in Christ is the knowledge that Christ has united with you and dwells in you and if Christ dwells in you; he will hear your prayers. And as sheep you will know his voice and will hear his words. The outcome is that you will be known and heard by God at the same time you will know the only true God, and Jesus Christ.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:21-23
Choosing To Believe
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:5-8
Believing God is one of those absolutes of God’s character of faithfulness our father instilled in us. Most of the time it is a struggle as to what to believe but doubt creates confusion to its feasibility. In the world people say don’t believe everything you see or hear. Life can be deceptive when you don’t know the person or what is going on in their life. Most of the time, we do not see the whole picture but only the portion that is done out in the open. When it is all said and done we make decisions based on what we see and hear. Those decisions may draw the wrong conclusion.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
On the other hand when it comes to faith it is what we don’t see that destroys our faith. We live in a world where we expect things to happen yesterday if not sooner. And we take that attitude into prayer and expect God to answer our prayer as soon as we say amen. It is especially true when we ask for healing. As soon as amen is said we start looking to see if God has healed our body. That is when your body says the pain is still there and you haven’t been healed. What is seen may draw the wrong conclusion because we believe in what we see.
As a human being you are more apt to guide your beliefs (faith) by what you see than by the promises of God. Our path in the world is guided by our God given senses through what we perceive. However within the spirit realm our spirit is guided by the words that proceed from the mouth of God. God’s word is truth but are you allowing God’s word to give you victory over the troubles that comes from the world. The world’s standards hinder your walk with Christ. What is perceived through our worldly senses tells us that God did not answer our prayer. The bible says;
We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
In the long run doubt is a deceiving thief that robs you of the answer God has promised to give you. If we were to paraphrase Romans 7:21-25 we could say: So I find this law at work: When I want to live by faith, doubt is right there with me contradicting the truth of God’s word. This contradiction wages war with my faith and I often become a prisoner of my human senses.
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 1 Kings 18:21
James also gave us an example to explain the law of faith. He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. The waves of the sea are caused by the forces of wind and tide. The gravitational pull of the moon causes the water upwards but the gravitational pull of the earth causes the water to fall towards the earth. While the pull of the moon causes the sea to rise and the pull of the earth causes the sea to seek a stable level at the shore line. However in the sea the same forces of wind and gravity make the sea choppy and unstable. This phenomenon causes waves to come and go out at the shoreline but up and down at sea.
To explain faith saying the waves of the sea are not stable for the sea is constantly changing its position due to the forces of nature. In the same way the forces of the wind cause trees to bend but when the wind ceases the tree returns to its upright condition. Doubt is the working force of the flesh but the choice to believe God is the force of the Spirit at work in you. We could say we have the power to do things in Christ but our flesh says it is impossible to happen.
By faith in Christ’s command to come Peter stepped out on the water and began to walk. However his flesh told him he would drown because men simply cannot walk on water. While all things are possible with God the experiences of Peter’s flesh contradicted his faith and the imposing thought this can’t be happening began to control his actions. Jesus said Oh you of little faith why did you doubt?
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:13-18
Before the new covenant Abraham made his good confession and was credited with righteousness. While the strength of his body was dead and Sarah’s body was well past the child bearing age he chose to stand on the promise of God believing God was capable of keeping his promise.
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:20-22
Abraham believed God and gave God glory by faith. Jesus was also fully persuaded that the events Jesus spoke about would happen to him as he said. His words concerning his death suffering and resurrection came to pass as he predicted. In the Garden of Gethsemane he let his commitment to his father known when he gave glory to God by saying not my will but your will be done.
Throughout the bible giving glory to God preceded the answer to the prayers of his servants. Glorifying God before the answer to your prayer is seen tells God you are convinced that God will exceed what he promised. His answer will thrill your soul, warm your heart and you will seek a closer relationship with the God of Creation.
Jesus performed many miracles of healing and they did not seem to have a pattern to them. However there was one pattern that every person had because they all believed what they said will happened to them. Whether his authority was recognized to just touching the hem of his garment Jesus saw their faith.
You cannot please God by doubting he is able to answer your prayers even when you think the answer to your prayer is impossible. Answers to prayer are not a coincidence; a half a chance or a freak of nature but God’s desire to establish a relationship with you by allowing the world to see his love demonstrated for mankind. Even if the world does not pay attention to how he answers your prayer God wants you to honor him by putting your absolute trust in him.
Standing Your Ground
"Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. Joshua 23:14
Today that record still holds true and the holy nature of God remains intact. One of the qualities of holiness is faithfulness which demands his words remain true forever according to his holy and chosen nature. The very fact that God does not lie is the foundation in which our trust in him is built. It is written God’s word is the truth that sanctifies you making you holy. In other words knowing the truth compels you to live a holy life, one that worships God in spirit and in truth.
In the last segment we spoke of wavering; a condition that creates an unstable stand before God. We also spoke of two forces that hindered the free movement of each other. In the spirit realm doubt hinders true faith so much that doubt forces you to abandon your faith. Without faith you cannot please God and receiving what you asked for will never happen.
Our sight; hearing, touch, smell and feelings direct our steps in this world. In the Spirit realm, our love for God; knowledge of the truth and God’s faithfulness to honor his word shapes our path to life. What this means is we live in two different worlds with different methods to properly function as a citizen of each world. Hence it becomes a choice to put our beliefs in God into practice even though the world forces its way upon you to the point it overpowers your beliefs.
Paul gave us a way to understand how we are to live before Christ in order to please God the Father. According to Paul:
We live by faith, not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7
The biggest hindrance to prayer is the way we perceive life. We ask God to heal us and as soon as we say Amen, we look at our flesh to see if we have been healed. Our flesh says better luck next time as we still have the very thing we asked God to deliver us from. It seems as if your flesh will always doubt whether God is faithful to his word. Therefore, doubt undermines your prayers with an opposing opinion that defeats your faith.
It is a choice to believe God through time and experience we establish and build confidence in the Lord. Your confidence tells you what God will do in any given circumstance by what he has consistently done in the past. As in the example above Joshua testified that not one of the promises the Lord your God gave you has failed (Joshua 23:14). Faith is not what another person experiences but the memory of your personal involvement with the Lord which establishes the assurance of the trust you have in the Lord.
Our flesh was not designed to see what goes on in the spirit world nor can we see God. Consider that God who is spirit wants you to learn how to live in the spirit but because we live in the world our mind is suppressed by what the flesh perceives and desires. However to live in the spirit we must set our mind on the desires of the Spirit (Romans 8:5). If we were living by faith we would know through trust that God’s hand is extended with the grace and mercy we asked for.
Do we have the absolute assurance that God is watching to see that his word is fulfilled" (Jeremiah 1:12).
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24
The psalmist wrote;
The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; Psalms 121:5
Do you believe God the father and the son have made their abode with you and the Lord is your shade at your right hand? Settle it in your mind that God is closer than a brother who dwells within hearing of your voice.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
God hears whatever you ask for in prayer, but you must believe that you have received it. Remember what you ask in prayer is not a coincidence when God promised it will be yours. Do we need further examples? David faced Goliath knowing the battle is the Lord’s. He said;
This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 1 Samuel 17:46
That same day David, Goliath was struck down and slain in response to the words David spoke. Then David cut his head off and held it up so everyone could see what David accomplished in the power of the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace if they did not bow down before the image Nebuchadnezzar made. Their reply was their testimony of what they believed.
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. Daniel 3:17
God rescued them.
In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun. 1 Kings 16:34
The high priest named Caiaphas shared his belief regarding the son of man.
You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." John 11:50
Yet it was God’s will that his son die on the cross of Calvary as an atonement for the sins of man and the words of Caiaphas happened as he stated. Jesus died once for all.
Fix your eyes on Jesus because what you perceive in this world will make you become indecisive and lose the victory God wants you to have. The faith that overcomes the world not only expects God to answer their prayer but also gives thanks to God believing you have received the answer. Trusting God is a commitment to believe, to fix your eyes on the rock - to know the ground you are standing on, then don’t let anything deter you from the good fight of faith.
Let me give you an example of truth in everyday life to explain the gratitude God expects. Mr. Wilson loves your children and went to them saying Hi to your boys and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum. While he is giving your children a stick of gum you as a parent intervene and say to your boys what do you say to Mr. Wilson? Reluctantly they say thank you Mr. Wilson. This is done in an effort to teach our children to appreciate the gift as much as the person for his kindness.
As children we go to our parents asking sometimes demanding “can I have” and out of the kindness of your heart you say yes. They find you to be their source of the things that makes them happy, at least for the moment. No sooner than they receive what they asked for and they ask for other things and suddenly you feel as if there is no end to their asking. Even though you teach them to be grateful they do not understand why they should appreciate the effort people put forth in giving them the things they want and enjoy.
We are also speaking about training a child to be polite and well-mannered. The scriptures tell us that God is a father who gives good things to his children. Just as we teach our children to be grateful for the gum while the gum is still in Mr. Wilson’s hand we should honor our father for the things he gives while it is still in his hand. Thanking God for the good things given to us encourages him to do more for us. At the same time thanking God is also a way to place a value on his kindness and his desire to ensure your wellbeing.
When we think about being polite and well-mannered obedience is one trait we reward our children through our gratitude. You expect your children to be polite and well-mannered and when they don’t you discipline their poor behavior. While disciplining them, their privilege of receiving good things is suddenly revoked until their obedience returns to where we want it.
Professionals tell us that gratitude is a reliable way to increase happiness and to show satisfaction while creating a positive attitude for one another. In the long run gratitude strengthens relationships allowing us to become closer and more committed to the wellbeing of other people. At the same time, an ordinary thank you gives strangers the encouragement to return this attitude in like manner. Gratitude may also promote forgiveness and other positive attitudes such as compassion. When everything is considered being thankful helps people feel connected in a bond of peace.
As a Christian I have to consider if this attitude of being grateful as the reason why God demands from us an attitude of being thankful. It certainly does no harm to other people and presents a higher value for the other person’s demeanor. When considering thankfulness and what God could do to instill this attitude in our character, the very things we ask for may remain in his hand until we acknowledge his kindness.
Age helps us to understand the purpose for being thankful primarily because our body does not perform as it did in our youth. Still we can be grateful because what age takes away is replaced with the wisdom to share our experiences by helping the younger people in our society to grow in the graces of God. Consider carefully why our gratitude acknowledges the person for the effort to they put forth to help you enjoy a better life.
Usually the effort put forth on behalf of another person’s benefit really serves their needs. Serving one another expresses a concern for another person and honors the person who is served above your own needs. Thanking the server is a way to say well done and encourages them to make a stronger effort in the future. In other words gratitude is another way to say I love you and I respect your concern for me.
Normally when we think of thanksgiving it is an expression of love for God and what he has done for us. Thanksgiving is not a holiday set apart to thank God but an everyday occurrence. We have so much to thank God for from the air we breathe to a life in our eternal home. God provides everything in such abundance that a large portion goes to waste.
Another grace of thanksgiving is our generosity that is given without considering the cost. Most of the time thanksgiving takes up a part of our time but thanksgiving becomes a benefit we reap. Gratitude for life leads to other graces instilled by God, graces that build people up without burning bridges behind us. This thing called grace is incorporated in all of the traits God instills in us which allows us to move forward in life without regrets.
As Christians we also have a major problem with what we think as faith that we must learn to deal with. The bible tells no one has seen God because he is a spirit from another realm. What pleases God is our faith that he will do what we ask of him. While we believe we receive his help in our time of need we don’t see what we ask for in his hand. There is a way to we thank God for what we ask for when we don’t see his hand or what we ask for? The bible says:
We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
The problem begins with looking for our answer in our sphere of sight as soon as we say Amen. What we perceived with our eyes tell us we did not receive the answer. It takes an absolute faith in Jesus to believe that whatever we ask he would do it (John 14:13). We have to learn to live by faith because sight lives by what is seen.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
Faith in God tells us to be assured we have what we ask God for and to be certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). By faith we have what we asked for because God’s answer belongs to us even though we may not see it. Finally answered prayer received with gratitude demonstrates our desire to please God and shows our appreciation for the grace and mercy he gives to us liberally. 6/1/2016
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