Start to say 'thanks'
Cheryl and I are away in Melbourne this week. We have three things to do; see my mum who turned 85 this week, visit a little investment property we have bought and celebrate a close friend’s 50th birthday.My friend pastors a church in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne – a long way from mum in Geelong – so we shall spend Sunday morning with them and he has asked me to speak in their church, so I will send your greetings.I am so thankful to God for Mum. I am so thankful to God for my friend in whose life God has used me to encourage his discipleship and ministry. I am so thankful to God for those who have shown Cheryl and I how we can manage a small investment property. Thank you, thank you, thank you!One of the characteristics of contented people that Peter Brain spoke about during his Saturday session was thankfulness. Someone shared with me how much this simple decision – to focus, notice and decide – to be and say ‘thanks’ has been transformational for her.Every time we worship together, the holy Spirit gives me thankful eyes. I’m fair dinkum, it’s weird. I look at people from the front of the church and see firstly who you are in Christ then what you do for him. Fledgling, frail acts of faith are received warmly and gladly by him. Little decisions to lay down something of ‘self’ for another are welcomed by him. You are amazing and amazingly loved!“Thankless” and “miserable” are almost synonyms. How do I know? The bible tells me so.Hebrews 12 tells us of a people who were struggling, weary and losing heart [12:3,4]. They had weak knees and drooping hands [12:12]. If that is you the Bible knows you, speaks of you because God knows you. The real danger for you is in 12:15. Be wary of becoming mistrustful of the favour of God towards you. If you do there’s a risk of a “root of bitterness” springing up in you. And that can lead to doing something really stupid. Something that will bring you and others down.The writer to the battered Hebrews tells them to be sure to give thanks. What for?In 12:28 thankfulness looks up to an invisible hope beyond the here and now, “since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken”. Thankfulness also looks to the here and now where rather than looking in at ourselves we look in at him and his life. But also in at all that he has done for you; revealing himself, those ah ha! moments, the friends who have loved, cared and prayed for you.He is here and he is not silent. Start to say, ‘thanks!’
thanks,
Malcolm