October 21, 2018

Gratitude

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. – Psalm 95:2-3

What are you grateful for? Do you ever stop and think about it? Oh, I know. We’re supposed to count our blessings every day, but do you? Really?

It’s easy to focus on the big things. Family. Friends. Home. Job. Health. Those are all important. Sometimes they are even things we take for granted until we don’t have them anymore.

But what about the smaller things? In our country, we assume clean, running water and indoor plumbing. Until we don’t have it. Then we’re scrambling and whining. But here’s the thing: some people do without those luxuries every single day. Do you ever thank God for the water you use every day?

Do you thank Him for the food you eat? I’m not talking about a standard prayer before your meal. I’m talking about giving real thanks, the kind of thanks that comes when we realize how blessed we are to have food.

For most of us, when we are hungry we simply go into the kitchen and get something to eat. That’s not true for everyone. You might not always recognize those who don’t have enough to eat. Sometimes they’re the people who live down the street. Their children play with your children. You know they work. You assume they have enough food. Yet, many don’t.

What about medical care? Are you grateful that you can go to the doctor when you need to? Are you grateful that you and your insurance can afford whatever medications you need? We are blessed to have access to such wonderful medical care. Not everyone does.

We assume that everyone has insurance. Do they? Can they afford to use it? High co-pays and deductibles make medical care unreachable for some people. Medicine is an unaffordable luxury. It’s not about need or desire. It’s about reality. If you can afford medical care and medicine, you are blessed.

There was a photo of a beautiful little girl on the front page of the local newspaper today. She’s sitting in a wheelchair. A big bow highlights where her hair should be. You know what’s coming, don’t you? This little girl is fighting for her life. She wanted to be on the sidelines of the high school football game with her cheerleading class friends and her parents and others made that happen.

Don’t ever take your health for granted. Don’t take the health of those you love for granted. It can be gone in a flash. You could easily be the one living the unthinkable.

Gratitude does more than just change our attitude. It fuels our compassion for others. It helps us realize how blessed we are and how much we have to give back to God by loving others.

The next time you’re tempted to whine about what you don’t have or how busy you are or how much you dislike your job or a co-worker, stop. Consider your blessings. Thank God for your health, your job and the lessons He’s teaching you by sending a challenging person into your life.

Be grateful. Praise God. Feel peace.

October 8, 2018

Storms

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. – Psalm 95:5

As I write this, a hurricane is headed toward my state. I’m an old-timer. I’ve been down this path before. I watch the weather. I prepare. And I trust God with it all.

Panic is everywhere. There are long lines at most gas stations. Supermarkets and Walmart are packed. Even the Dollar General has a full parking lot. People are in panic mode.

I suppose much of it is because most people weren’t expecting a hurricane. It wasn’t on their radar even though it’s been in the news. Even this morning, I encountered people who didn’t know a hurricane is set to hit land on Wednesday. So now they’re panicked.

The time to prepare isn’t two days before the storm. But that’s what we do, isn’t it? We wait until the cancer diagnosis, the job loss, the divorce, the death. Then we cry out to God, panicked by what has happened. Our foundation is weak because we haven’t bothered to sink our roots into His Word. We haven’t prepared our hearts to withstand adversity.

I’ll admit that it’s been a long time since a bad hurricane has headed our way. We’ve been fortunate. We’ve watched from afar as other areas have struggled with storm damage, horrific flooding, power outages, downed trees, destroyed homes. Now it’s our time.

That’s how it is in life. We’ve got it good. We do know that. Life is sailing along. Our biggest complaint is that we’ve got too many good things to do. We’re happy. Satisfied. And maybe we’re that way for years.

And then it hits. Something awful happens and life changes and you’re suddenly floundering in a storm you didn’t see coming. You can either focus your eyes on Jesus or you can focus on the storm. Your choice. Which you choose sometimes depends on the foundation you’ve laid.

I’m not panicked by the approaching hurricane. Maybe I should be. I try to stay prepared because honestly, in our part of the country, storms happen. It’s better not to wait until the last minute to try and remember what you need and what you should have on hand.

But here’s s truth: God is in control. I’m not. Nor are you. He made the Gulf of Mexico. He made all the land. He controls the wind and the rain and storm surge. Not me or you. I trust Him with the hurricane and what happens during and after it hits. Just like I trust Him with the other storms that sometimes rock my life.

Do you trust Him? Are you prepared for the storms you will inevitably face? Don’t wait until you are desperate to realize how much you need God.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Attend Church To Worship God

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;" -- Psalm 95:6

Why do you go to church? Because you're supposed to? Because it's expected, especially in the Deep South. To see your family and friends? To get the latest gossip, ah, make that prayer requests?

How about worshipping God? Do you think about celebrating who He is and all He has done and continues to do for you and me? Do enjoy singing songs of praise to Him? Maybe even learn a little about God and what He says in the Bible?

I don't always feel like going to church. I go anyway. It's the least I can do for the One who created me and has given me so much. Funny thing though. Once I get there, once I gather with other people who seek the Lord with their hearts and souls -- my own heart opens up and I feel His Spirit engulf me. Suddenly, I'm glad I came.

If we only do what we "feel like," few of us would ever have clean clothes. The lawn wouldn't get mowed. We might not even make it to work most days. Life is rarely about doing what we "feel like." So when Sunday rolls around, we should head to church and worship God with other believers whether we "feel like" it or not.

We also aren't called to church to socialize or gossip. Not that I don't like the people I see at church. I do like them. And I am concerned when something is wrong. I also celebrate when something goes right. Anyone who knows me knows I believe strongly in the power of prayer.

But it isn't about those things. Church is about celebrating God. It's about learning and growing in His Word. It's about Him -- not us. What is so amazing to me is that when we show up to worship Him -- He turns right around and blesses us.