Tag Archives: give thanks

I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made

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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

 

 

If you’ve been trying to ‘walk the talk’ you know how easy it is to become discouraged. We quickly beat ourselves up over the little progress we make toward our goals, and the mistakes we make along the way. We might be tempted to give up and say, “It’s no use. I’ll never become better.” Like Paul, we keep doing the things we shouldn’t and don’t do the things we should. Welcome to living in your own power.

 

But behind this pessimistic view of ourselves is a backdrop of how we are actually wonderfully made. Our bodies are marvels of creation. I mean, which of you tell your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, or your kidneys to clean your blood? Even though you may think you cannot learn, your brain is constantly absorbing and processing new information, teaching you how to adapt to your environment. (Have you ever lived next to a railway or fire station and soon discover that you have tuned out the loud sounds?) Who taught you to handle both heavy and delicate objects with the same hand? Who taught your digestive track to handle all the junk food you put into it and keep your body functioning? Despite what YOU see in the mirror, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

 

Beyond a wonderfully created body, you’ve been given a spirit that knows what it wants and yearns to achieve it. Even though our will chooses sometimes to believe lies, we have inside of us this still small voice that speaks truth. We have a natural yearning to be close to God, even though we try to feed that need with oh so many other things.  You have the ability to learn from mistakes, to choose goodness, to forgive, to perceive and enjoy true beauty. There is no law or military force that can take away from you your decision to be at peace, to pray, to be content, to trust in God, or to praise Him. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

 

Psalm 100:3 reminds us that it is God who made us so wonderful. No matter what the self-books say, we are not self-made. So it naturally follows that we should:

 

In all your ways acknowledge the Lord and the Lord will direct your path. Proverbs 3-6

 

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

Look in a different mirror today and see the person made by the Creator of the Universe who knows the stars by name and holds the oceans in His hand. It is this same awesome God who wonderfully made you and chooses to love you, even when you mess up. You’re not perfect. But you are wonderfully made by a loving God. Tell Him “I will praise you.”

 

 

Complaining and grumbling

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I’m guessing that at some point in your life you have attended a whine party, maybe even threw one yourself. No, not ‘wine’ but ‘whine’. You know what it is like: someone complains about something and then someone else ups the ante with an even bigger complaint. And so the conversation slides quickly downhill, dragging everyone with it.

 

Complaining seems to be a national pastime. It’s easy to fall into the trap, isn’t it? When we get wrapped up in our own world of hurts and misfortunes all we see is ourselves.  I comment about my arm always hurting. My wife reminds me to be thankful because some people don’t have arms. Adding sarcasm to my whining, I think to myself, “Yeah, well they probably don’t hurt then, do they?”  See how easy it is? (sigh)

 

Paul warns us about grumbling and complaining in Philippians 2 where he encourages us to take our eyes off ourselves and seek the mindset of Jesus, the One:

 

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death  –   even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6-8

 

And so, Paul continues, we should:  “Do everything without grumbling or arguing…” (v 14). Why? So we can:

– Be blameless and pure, behaving as children of God. 

– Stand out from a warped and crooked generation.

– Shine our light among others like the stars of the sky. 

– Hold firmly to the truth of the Word. 

– Live life with purpose and passion, not in vain, even if our life is one of continual sacrifice and faith, ‘poured out like a drink offering.’ 

 

How can we live pure lives by constant complaining? How can we behave like children of the king, privileged in so many ways and still be whiners? How can we live our life set apart from a crooked generation when we complain about things just as they do? Does grumbling make our light shine brighter? Does complaining help us to hold onto the truth?  No, it works against us! Complaining begets more complaining and a dissatisfaction with our plot in this temporary and short life. It destroys a thankful heart.

 

 

My wife is absolutely right: the cure to complaining is being thankful. We stop complaining when we start being thankful. You’ve heard the saying, “I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” Let’s declare a ban on personal complaining for at least 24 hours, and then renew the pledge the next day, and the next. See how your life changes and how your light shines brighter, when we refrain from grumbling and complaining when things don’t go our way.

 

 

What gift would you bring first?

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Imagine I came to visit you first thing in the morning and as soon as I arrive I present you with a list of demands for the day. How would you respond to such an ungrateful guest? I would not blame you for considering me quite rude, selfish, and inconsiderate.

 

But what gift do we typically bring to our gracious God as we rise each day? Our great plans for the day? Or maybe a list of to-do’s for Him to work on while we tackle our own agenda? What about asking Him for wisdom, courage and strength? That would be a good one, but one thing even better or at least first is this:

 

Bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise. 

 

‘Thank you for greeting me this morning, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Thank you for who you are – your unfailing love, your mercy, your wisdom, your power. (How many more attributes can you list?) Thank you for how you have been patient with me and how you have protected me.’

 

It’s fine to ask God for His watch care and blessing on others and to bring your own personal requests to Him. He invites you! But first, bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving and linger on that topic for a while. Be silent before Him and ponder His greatness.

 

More than your efforts to do good, more than your money, more than nearly everything else you can imagine, the Creator of the universe desires to spend time with you and your thankful heart, Just like you like to spend time with thankful people. We shouldn’t be surprised. He made us in His own image.  Begin the day with thanks and you may find the rest of the day follows that pattern.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
    and tell of his works with songs of joy.” Psalm 107:21-22

 

 

The Praise Effect

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God has spoken quite a bit about anxiety and fear during my illness. Sometimes it seems I have given up my entire life, health, finances, and even much of my identity. But anxiety, which is basically a lack of trusting God, still creeps in. Sound familiar? We get anxious about relationships, finances, jobs, future direction, and so much more. I have learned much of what I need…I just need to apply it consistently in my life. If I worry or become anxious about things, I am doubting that God’s promises are true, or thinking that I can do better. I hate to admit this, but if I am honest with myself (Psalm 139:23-24), it comes to this:

Either I trust myself, or I trust my sovereign God.

Yesterday, we looked at the well-known passage of Philippians 4:6-7 which in summary says, don’t be anxious; always present your requests to God in prayer with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving when we are anxious? How does that make sense? Let’s have God answer that in His own Word:
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me.” Psalm 50:23
“Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” Ps. 107:22
“God inhabits the praise of His people.” Ps. 22:3
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

What is so significant about God inhabiting our praise? We know that God is Holy and sin cannot exist in His presence. Worry and anxiety, IF we let it control us, is sin; it is telling God, “I don’t fully trust you.” When we praise God and thank Him for who He is and all He has done, we cannot also worry at the same time. If I could apply an image from my sanctified imagination, praise and thanksgiving are like a ‘force field’ against the things that war against our relationship with God. The ‘cure’ to anxious thoughts is praising and thanking God.

I find that one thing that really helps keep this in check and increases my daily trust, is to list everything for which I am thankful and tell them to God. Every day, at least ten specific things. And let every anxious thought be countered by thoughts of praise and thanks. It may be our greatest problem is not rebelliousness but thanklessness. God desires a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise. And anxious thoughts find it nearly impossible to dwell in the company of these.

What are you thankful for today? Let it replace your fear and anxiety!

Who IS that (un)Masked Man?

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image Notice anything different?

For the first time in three months my doctor says I can go without a mask. Which means that healthy visitors don’t have to wear a mask either. AND I can go out in public again as long as I’m careful about shaking hands, touching things, being around sick people, etc.

While not a huge deal unto itself, it is what we say at work, “Take what you can get closest to what you want.” Complete change seldom happens overnight. You often have to go through a very long process to get what you are working toward. In the meantime, you celebrate smaller successive approximations of what you want.

While my blood counts are still all below normal, we are celebrating and enjoying this small step…for another week or two when they will give me more chemo to knock the counts down again.

What “little” things in life are YOU thankful for today?
I hope your list is long!

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Are you LIVING thanks?

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A friend sent a card with a note encouraging us to keep giving thanks, something we’ve often mentioned here as absolutely essential for living victoriously.

So with that in mind, and today’s news fresh in mind, I’m thankful:

  • My platelet transfusion went through successfully rafter a bad reaction Monday.
  • My amazing wife remains always faithful and devoted to me.
  • I have clean safe drinking water direct from my tap.
  • I didn’t have to choose between food and medicine.
  • Nobody I know was shot, raped, tortured, or mutilated today.
  • No one bombed my town or house.
  • I don’t have to worry about doping or other secrets coming out.
  • My financial budget is strained like so many others, but it is in better shape than the Government’s because I don’t spend seven times what I make.
  • Leukemia isn’t in charge of my life; Jesus is.
      • If you want to be free of worry, GIVE thanks. Try making a list of specific things for which you are thankful, eg not just your friends, but what it IS they do or what characteristic you appreciate.

      If you want to actually put this to action, then LIVE thanks. That is, DO something with it. Consider giving up a daily or weekly habit you don’t need and sponsor a child who needs your guidance and love. Invest in a family’s future by providing a clean drinking water filtration kit. Buy a milk goat to help a single mom support her family. The ideas are endless. Here are some companies with VERY high integrity that make such grants available as they reach out to those in deepest need to help them become more self sufficient:
      CAMA Services www.camaservices.org
      Compassion www.compassion.com
      World Vision www.worldvision.org
      Samaritan’s Purse www.samaritanspurse.org

      LIVE SIMPLY SO OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE.

      “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
      Matthew 25:40

Staying Healthy

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As a Leukemia patient, a significant part of my energy each day is spent keeping myself healthy. Having finished my second round of chemotherapy, my immune system is again on its way down to zero. It seems at this point at least that infection, not Leukemia, is my biggest threat. As well as I am doing through this treatment, a single infection or common cold can drastically change things quickly. And that is true for each of us in this severe flu season.

I have always strived to live a healthy life, but never have been THIS focused on protecting myself from infection. (I’m not quite to the Michael Jackson phase.) We love having visitors but ask them to come only when completely healthy. We ask them to wear masks when they enter my environment and I always wear a mask when I leave my room.

Apart from that, the elements of my regime are beneficial to all of us in this flu season: Wash hands with soap and use hand sanitizer frequently throughout the day. Keep the skin moist. You know the drill.

But are we as careful to practice other essentials of maintaining a healthy immune system?

  • Maintain consistent and quality sleep patterns 
  • Avoid useless (and harmful) worry
  • Cultivate a sense of humor and find reason to laugh
  • Enjoy time with family and friends
  • Encourage others
  • Take short breaks throughout the day to refresh your mind and spirit
  • Pray
  • Find reason to give thanks throughout the day, regardless of how crummy the day seems

    “Be joyful always; pray continually;
    give thanks in all circumstances,
    for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
    1 Thessalonians 5:16

    Stay healthy…in body, mind, and spirit!

Living Beyond Circumstance

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In our daily walks through the two hospital units, it is evident that everyone here has an important and often tough job. The needs of many patients are very intense. Some days are just busy while others are crazy-chaotic. You can see it on the faces of the caring workers, even through veiled smiles.

As we interact with the staff, we notice that none are immune to the pressures of caring for others, learning a new documentation system, and just coping with life. But even with this commonality, there IS a noticeable difference:

Some people make their day; for others, the day makes them.

Life happens TO some people and determines how their day goes, like a boat being tossed from wave to wave. Others view life through a different lens, one that sees circumstance as ever-changing, but without the power to sink their ship. An inner truth, not circumstance, guides their response to life.

This is not some sort of “master of my own fate” concept. Personally, it seems that such control is illusionary at best. Rather, it is being fully-persuaded that God’s purpose and power supersedes the ‘stuff’ life throws us; it is the discovery that there is reason to give thanks IN (if not for) all circumstances. None of us become perfect masters of our daily perspective. (That is why we need each other!) But when we discipline ourselves to pursue truth and grace and let those be our guide, then mere circumstance loses its power over us.

What controls your life?

“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18