A Church with a Heart for our Community

October 13th Thursday

Greetings to you in the name of “The Way and The Truth and The Light”, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! Another interesting morning in the Kingdom – a typical fall morning with colourful skies, a little sunshine, and a healthy breeze. Just a reminder…this is the day that the Lord has made – for us! My daily devotion calendar proclaimed to me this morning: Every day your lease on life is renewed – now isn’t that something to be thankful for? Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to touch your life in a way that you will understand and that will make you smile at His attention to detail.

Yesterday I shared about coming into God’s presence to worship with thanksgiving already in your heart and mind. After I sent that along I thought I was finished…but God reminded me that an important aspect of worshipping Him with thanksgiving was serving Him without complaining and murmuring. Of course we serve Him by our service and interaction with other people – in our home or at work or at the stores or at church or wherever we happened to be where other people happen to be.  

I was drawn to the instruction of the Apostle Paul: Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe…Philippians 2:14-15 NIV — Do everything readily and cheerfully–no bickering or second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God…Philippians 2:14-15 The Message. I am sure that you have heard and seen how our society has been polluted by complaining and arguing and murmuring. As followers of Jesus we are called to be different…and it is a difficult assignment.

What happens when we get caught joining the world in that depressing cycle of unthankfull talking and walking – murmuring and complaining and arguing? Here’s a few that might seem familiar: we forget about how good God has been; it accomplishes nothing but creates much stress; it erodes our supply of faith; it gives Satan an opening into our lives; it weakens our testimony; and sometimes we receive exactly what we are looking for only to find out that is not what we really wanted.

I am thinking that I need to go on an after-Thanksgiving diet of intentionally and deliberately giving thanks, complaining less, and cut down on my portions of murmuring. I think that would be a healthier lifestyle for me.

Have a great day – be blessed!