Welcome to Monday’s blog! Our theme is “Be Thankful” this week and the scripture passage for today is Ephesians 5:18-20!
“ 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I absolutely love this section of scripture! As I read it through today I am seeing it in a slightly different way! I see an overarching theme of “community” – Christ followers being together encouraging one another, sharing the power and presence of God’s Spirit together, worshiping together, speaking together! All with a sense of joy and celebration “making music in your hearts to the Lord”! That sounds happy – like the family holiday celebration we all hope for! Into that joyous scene the apostle Paul interjects this call, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”.
I wonder if God is saying something to me about “going public” with my thanks for Him. I know that I am encouraged when someone else publicly thanks God for me or something I have been a part of. Last night was the concluding session of the fall Alpha Course and included an opportunity for anyone to share what the experience has been like for them with the whole group. Stories were told, tears shed, God was thanked and praised, people were encouraged, spirits were enlivened in part because people were “giving thanks to God the Father” in public – where others could hear.
I am encouraged – this week I want people to “hear” me give thanks to God the Father. My children need to hear (in a normal way) me giving thanks to God for their mother and them and our family! My friends need to hear me giving thanks to God for my job, my family, Jesus, well… everything I guess.
This is cool – God is glorified when I give thanks to Him in public! There is a calling here – inspiration – joy – refreshment - a new dimension to the powerful art of “being thankful”!
How does all this strike you? We would all love to hear – seriously!
delton