Date: 21 December 2023
Author: Loli Reiter
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
This is quite the “to-do” list!
...Where to begin? Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances.
Ooh, this reminds me of something else to put on my “to-do list,” get thank you cards.
Do you usually write “thank you” cards for the gifts you receive at Christmas or Birthdays?
It was usually something my mother MADE me do. She’d sit me down, and I would write down my formulaic:
Dear BLANK,
Thank you so much for the BLANK! I am already using it and enjoying it!
Have a great New Year! (sometimes “have a great year” if the cards got out later).
With Love,
Loli (feel free to use this formula if it works for you!)
Sometimes I would sit at that table for hours because I SO did NOT want to write those notes!
...but my momma was so right. It is important to communicate gratitude. It is a gift to those who have gifted us. Of course, Paul was talking about more than just “thank you” notes.
“Give thanks in all circumstances” referred to the way we are called to live our whole lives.
Give thanks when you receive something AND when you are empty handed. Give thanks when someone has done something nice for you AND when someone has been a jerk. Give thanks when your heart is full of joy and laughter AND when it is heavy and filled with tears.
Why?? How???
Well, because God is good...all the time, and all the time...God is good!
And we do it by remembering one of the gazillion blessings that God has given us throughout our life. And when someone is a jerk, we pray for that person who obviously doesn’t have “Peace like a river; joy like a fountain; OR love like an ocean” in their soul. We pray because we don’t know what hurt or fear they carry around with them all day, every day. And when our hearts are heavy and sad we trust that The God of Peace is faithful and walks with us through the darkest valley, and then dances with us when we make it out to splash around in the rivers of joy! The God of Peace will come through...sometimes not when we want, but always right on time.
Challenge:
You know it! Write that “thank you” note! Not an email or a text, an actual note. It can be for a gift, for the difference that teacher has made in your life this year, or for the great meatloaf your mom made last night. I also invite you to make a list of at least 10 ways you can live out your “thank you” to God in how you interact with all of God’s creation.
Prayer:
God of all that is, thank you for providing us with more than enough. Jesus, Lord of all, show us how to live out our thanks to God in how we treat and care for others. And generous Spirit, help us to not just say, “thank you” but to truly feel grateful, recognizing how blessed we truly are. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Author: Loli Reiter
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
This is quite the “to-do” list!
...Where to begin? Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances.
Ooh, this reminds me of something else to put on my “to-do list,” get thank you cards.
Do you usually write “thank you” cards for the gifts you receive at Christmas or Birthdays?
It was usually something my mother MADE me do. She’d sit me down, and I would write down my formulaic:
Dear BLANK,
Thank you so much for the BLANK! I am already using it and enjoying it!
Have a great New Year! (sometimes “have a great year” if the cards got out later).
With Love,
Loli (feel free to use this formula if it works for you!)
Sometimes I would sit at that table for hours because I SO did NOT want to write those notes!
...but my momma was so right. It is important to communicate gratitude. It is a gift to those who have gifted us. Of course, Paul was talking about more than just “thank you” notes.
“Give thanks in all circumstances” referred to the way we are called to live our whole lives.
Give thanks when you receive something AND when you are empty handed. Give thanks when someone has done something nice for you AND when someone has been a jerk. Give thanks when your heart is full of joy and laughter AND when it is heavy and filled with tears.
Why?? How???
Well, because God is good...all the time, and all the time...God is good!
And we do it by remembering one of the gazillion blessings that God has given us throughout our life. And when someone is a jerk, we pray for that person who obviously doesn’t have “Peace like a river; joy like a fountain; OR love like an ocean” in their soul. We pray because we don’t know what hurt or fear they carry around with them all day, every day. And when our hearts are heavy and sad we trust that The God of Peace is faithful and walks with us through the darkest valley, and then dances with us when we make it out to splash around in the rivers of joy! The God of Peace will come through...sometimes not when we want, but always right on time.
Challenge:
You know it! Write that “thank you” note! Not an email or a text, an actual note. It can be for a gift, for the difference that teacher has made in your life this year, or for the great meatloaf your mom made last night. I also invite you to make a list of at least 10 ways you can live out your “thank you” to God in how you interact with all of God’s creation.
Prayer:
God of all that is, thank you for providing us with more than enough. Jesus, Lord of all, show us how to live out our thanks to God in how we treat and care for others. And generous Spirit, help us to not just say, “thank you” but to truly feel grateful, recognizing how blessed we truly are. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
