In Everything . . . Give Thanks

In Everything . . . Give Thanks.                I Thessalonians 5:18

One of the duties of a pastor is to interpret scripture . . . to explain or define the meaning of words, phrases, verses, or passages in the Bible.

As Brother Dave Gardner used to say, "Let me cut it up for you!"

​Bible interpretation carries great responsibility . . . and it is one that true ministers of the Faith never take lightly.

I have heard all of my ministry (46 years), "The Bible says what it means, and means what it says!"

That makes it all sound pretty simple . . . but I have found that discovering God's intended meaning is often illusive . . . requiring a great deal of knocking, seeking, and finding.

When mortals speak for God we are not always correct . . . sometimes we flavor our utterances with our own philosophy . . . sometimes we substitute our truth for God's outright. We must be accountable . . . well will be held accountable.

Here is a line from scripture for the Season:

"In Everything . . . Give Thanks."

Found in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 5 verse 18. No explanation . . . just a brief, simple statement.

Is it really simple?

Does it say, "Be thankful for everything?"

N0, it doesn't.

It says, "Be thankful IN everything."

Whatever circumstance you are IN . . . whatever ditch you are IN . . . whatever hole you are IN . . . there will always be something that you can truthfully, honestly be grateful for.

I do not believe that God requires us to be thankful for our pain or hurt or tragedy or difficulty.

I do not believe that you have to be thankful for the HOLE . . . but in every hole you can find cause and good reason to be grateful.

Paul (and God through Paul) is not calling us to an unreasonable, emptily pious response to hardship . . . but we ARE being called and challenged to defy our troubles and all of the powers of the Dark . . . by giving thanks at all times.

No matter the weather, the temperature, the situation or circumstance.

We are not merely fair weather faithful . . . we are defiant, bold, unbreakable, victorious thanksgivers.

Thank you, God . . . no matter what . . .

Being thankful . . . in the Hole

In Everything . . . Give thanks.   I Thessalonians 5:18

Not thankful FOR everything . . . but thankful IN everything . . . even in the hole.

In the hole . . . in the red . . . over your head . . .

You know . . . down and out (or down, but not out)

Up to your neck . . . 

Thankful.

There's a great gospel song about a grandmother telling her grandchildren the story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament.

They refused to bow down to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar . . . so he threw them in a fiery furnace.

But God protected them from the fire.  They were in the fire . . . but the fire didn't win. The three Hebrew Children were freely walking in the flames of the furnace: unharmed.

King Nebuchadnezzar looked in and saw them . . . he also saw a Fourth Man walking about with them in the blaze. He said that it looked like the Son of God.

The three young men walked out of the furnace . . . and the Bible said that they didn't even smell of smoke!

In the song the grandchildren asked their grandmother, "But grandmother . . . what about the Fourth Man? Where is HE?"

She smiled and happily said, "He's still in the Fire!"

Whenever we are thrown into the fires and flames of life . . . He is already there . . . waiting for us . . . to be with us . . . to see us through.

Phillip Yancey has written a wonderful book for Christians in the Pit:  Where is God when it Hurts?

You should read the book.

Sometimes when we are in the hole . . . in the pit . . . in the furnace . . . we cannot see Him there. Sometimes we can't find Him, or sense Him, or feel Him. In the hole.

Yancey's conclusion at the end of the book is profound . . . and we knew it all along.

Where is God when it Hurts?  He's in YOU!

The Apostle John wrote: "Greater is HE who is IN YOU . . .  than anything or anyone in the world . . . or in the hole."

He is.

I am thankful.

Someone's Boring Me

I am Never BORED #3

Bored people have a Favorite

Here is my Favorite COLOR . . .

And I like this one, too . . .

 

I like ‘em all.

Do you really think that one color is brighter, prettier . . . . better . . . . than another?

Okay, you prefer one color over another. I DO get it . . .

But do you know what happens if you’re wearing a shirt that is NOT your favorite color? You get bored with it.

And if your friend never wears clothing colored in your most favorite shade . . . you get bored with your friend.

You might feel negatively toward entire races of people who do not suit the color that you enjoy the most.

If the radio is not playing your favorite song . . . do you change the channel or turn it off?

If your favorite meal is not on the menu . . . do you leave the restaurant in search of another?

 

Is having a Favorite really a bad thing?

Yes . . . and it’s boring.

You get bored with people and things that are not your favorite.  You can’t wait until they are out of the way so that you can get to your Favorite. Your best time, attention, and devotion is dedicated to your Favorite.

Favoritism includes so little . . . and excludes so much.

 

It is limiting . . . it is narrow . . . it is close-minded.

Do you have an expansive list of things that you like and do not like?

I suspect that if you are keeping THAT list (real or imaginary) you also have a list of PEOPLE that you have judged and sorted similarly. I wonder which list I’m on?!

Do you lose interest . . . snerl up your nose . . . turn your back . . . or click your tongue?  Do you get bored if it’s not your Favorite?

In order to cling lovingly to favorites . . . you must judge . . . and indulge in critical thinking. THIS is my Favorite . . .THAT is NOT.

You do not reject everything or everyone that is not your Favorite . . . . . . or do you?

The goal of Baskin and Robbins is NOT just to get you to try 31 flavors . . . it is to get you to try thousands, and like them all. (Personally, I have never put ANY flavor of ice cream in my mouth that I did not like!).

Having Favorite people, things, or preferences seems like a very harmless practice . . . but it can define your thinking and point of view in negative ways.  Yes, it IS about liking something . . . but it is also about unconsciously establishing and unnecessarily promoting negativity toward OTHER things or people. If you find your less than Favorite people tedious or trying, if you find things that are not your Favorite boring, you may be limiting the amount of joy and happiness that you are capable of having and the amount of joy and happiness you are adding to the lives of others because Favoritism is not only boring . . . it is selfish.

Here’s a sad song to close this post.

New Favorite.