“I thank God for the help you gave me” (Philippians 1:5 NCV).
Paul wrote the book of Philippians to the church that he started in Philippi, where a woman named Lydia opened up her home and, along with others, welcomed Paul to the city. The Philippian church even helped fund Paul’s missionary journeys. In Philippians 1:5, Paul says, “I thank God for the help you gave me” (NCV). The thing is, Paul didn’t have a good time in Philippi. In fact, it was one of his roughest churches to get started. When Paul went to this city to start a church, he was beaten, whipped, humiliated, falsely arrested, thrown into prison, and survived an earthquake. Then he was politely asked by the city leaders to leave town. Yet Paul told the believers, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Philippians 1:3 NLT). What is Paul doing there? He is choosing selective memory. Philippi was not a happy place for Paul, and he endured a lot of persecution and suffering during his time in that city. But he chose not to dwell on painful memories. Instead, he expressed his gratitude for the good things that had been done for him and through him. The longer you know someone, the more likely you are to take that person for granted, look for faults, and remember the bad things instead of the good things. Are you still clinging to some painful memories with some people in your life? You’ve never let them off the hook, and you can’t enjoy those relationships because you’re still holding on to the past. You need to understand that memories are a choice. There's a story one time about two friends who were talking. One of them asked the other, “Don’t you remember that time when your husband did this?” Her friend replied, “I distinctly remember forgetting that.” Your memories are a choice. If you want to hold on to your painful memories, go right ahead. But you’re not going to be happy! Paul had a lot of reasons to focus on painful memories of Philippi. Instead, he chose to be grateful for the people in his life and the work God was doing in and through them. When you do the same, God will bless your relationships far beyond your expectations.
0 Comments
“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Philippians 1:3 NLT).
If you want to have healthy relationships, start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life. Philippians 1:3 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (NLT). That simple truth is the foundation of good relationships. When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? Or are you more likely to ask, “What do they need to do for me? What are our problems? What do we have to get done?” Your first thought may not be gratitude. But Paul’s first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model we should follow if we want our relationships to last. Here’s the problem: The longer you know someone, the more likely you take that person for granted. Isn’t that true? With the passage of time, it becomes easier to focus on that person’s faults and the bad times instead of the happy times. That’s why it takes effort on our part to choose to have an attitude of gratitude for the people in our lives. The longer our relationships have lasted, the harder it may be to remember. But we experience an eternal impact on our relationships when we develop the habit of giving thanks to God when we think of our spouses, children, parents, siblings, neighbors, coworkers, and small group members. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).
In both the U.S. and Canada, we celebrate a day of thanksgiving once a year. But God wants us to be intentional about our thankfulness every day. He wants us to develop this spiritual habit, one that is reflected in the life of a radical believer. The more deeply you understand God’s love, the more grateful you’re going to be. So, what does it mean to be radically grateful? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV). That’s radical gratitude. In every circumstance give thanks, because it’s God’s will for your life. You can thank God in every circumstance because God is in control. He can bring good out of evil. He can turn around the worst mistakes you’ve made. No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving you. You can find a hundred things to be thankful for in any circumstance, even when the circumstance stinks. Radical gratitude—being thankful in all circumstances—is God’s will because it creates fellowship. What do I mean by that? Gratitude always builds deeper relationships between you and other people and between you and God. If you want to get closer to someone, start expressing gratitude to that person. If you’re feeling distant from your spouse, you need to start doing what you did when you were dating: Express gratitude. Write little notes of kindness and encouragement. Make calls or text during the day, just to tell your spouse that you’re thankful. The reason you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling is because you stopped doing the things that created that lovin’ feeling early on, and you take each other for granted. Do you want to build your small group? Don’t just go to your gathering. During the week, text or email or call or write the people in your group. Say, “I’m grateful for you, and here’s why.” You’ll find that the more grateful you are for your group, the more your group will bond. The Bible tells us to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). As you build others up, you’ll find that God also builds into your life through your deep relationships with him and others. “If God gives us wealth and property and lets us enjoy them, we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 GNT). The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (NIV). That’s the kind of God we serve. He gave us the world for our enjoyment! But here’s the problem: We’re so busy getting more that we don’t enjoy what we’ve got. You need to ask yourself, “What am I not enjoying right now?” Most of us get into what might be called “when and then” thinking — “When this happens, then I’ll be happy.” “When I get a boyfriend, then I’ll be happy.” “When I get married, then I’ll be happy.” “When I have kids, then I’ll be happy.” “When my kids go off to school, then I’ll be happy.” “When I get married again, then I’ll be happy.” You are as happy as you choose to be. Happiness is a choice! If you’re not happy now, you’re not going to be happy later. You can go to some of the worst places in the world and find two people living right next door to each other. One is miserable, and one is happy. Why? Happiness has nothing to do with your circumstances. It has everything to do with your attitude. If you’re not happy living on what you’re living on right now, it's a near ceratainty that you’re not going to be happy with any more. Because you’re always going to want a little bit more. Happiness is a choice. Choose to enjoy what God has given you right now for your enjoyment! |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|