Proverbs 16:5 -- Conceit & Humility

The Lord doesn’t like anyone who is conceited— you can be sure they will be punished.

Proverbs 16:5 (CEV)

The ideal concept of the "American Male" is the self-made man, who comes from nothing to build something great. It's an archetype that's embedded in our social consciousness, a direct effort against the concept of nobility, and the thought that here in America, anyone can succeed. The people that we tell stories about, are ever so often this type of person. Lincoln. Fredrick Douglas. Carnegie. P.T. Barnum, and hundreds of others are the success stories upon which we wean our children. 

The thing is, that the heart of this idea is conceit. Anyone who describes themselves as "self-made" is raising themselves up, putting themselves onto a pedestal, and thinking themselves as above others. There's the concept that worked harder than others; were smarter and more ingenious. 

Doing this negates the work of every one around them. It is an attempt to negate what God has done for you.

The thing is that the cornerstone of Christian belief, as well as the cornerstone of a joy-filled life is humility.  

Humility is an action. It's something that a person does a guideline on how to live.  Humility means that you work at being an active listener. That you practice gratitude towards those who surround you. It means that you give credit where credit is due, and above all, that you show respect to everyone you come across. 

Additionally, true humility means that you need to be self-aware; which is one of the primary stepping stones of having a true joy-filled life.

I can admit that I'm not a self-made man. Despite everything in my life, despite how hard I work, how many hours I put into my job and attempts at learning what I need to know, I know that I cannot do it alone. I need my coworkers. I need my wfie and family. 

And I need God. 

Journal Prompt: How can you show more humility in your life? List 3 things you're prideful of, and how you can show humility in their place instead. 

1 Corinthians 15:9 -- Forgiving Ourselves

I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God’s church that I don’t even deserve to be called an apostle.

1 Corinthians 15:9 (CEV)

The apostle Paul was not always a good man.  Prior to his conversion, he was violent, a blasphemer and persecuted the church wherever he found it.  And that's how he described himself in letters to Timothy and the church at Galatia.  

This is a fact that he carried with him until the end of his days. He never allowed himself to forget. He used that reminder of how he had previously acted as a remembrance towards the grace that Christ provided him. 

The thing is that Paul knew he was forgiven. He had no doubt of it, and was secure in his faith and the grace that Christ provided. 

Yet he choose to remember. 

That leads us to the question on whether he had forgiven himself. 

Some people would say that since he thought of it (and wrote of it) numerous times through his life and travels that he must have obviously not forgiven himself. They would naively associate forgiveness and forgetfulness together in this scenario. 

They would happily point out that Hebrews tells us that God doesn't remember our sins after we request forgiveness. 

Which always makes me laugh. 

I have a co-worker, who is significantly younger than I am, and I worked with him in writing various documentation for our jobs.  One of the things that I most harped upon is the fact that words are important. Individually a word means something, but that meaning is not immutable. Rather it changes and mutates based upon tone and inflection and the words that surround it.  Words are important. What we say, and how we say it, tells so much about who we are, our education, our opinions, what we think of ourselves and even what we think of others.

So, when we first look at remember, the definition that comes immediately to mind is "recall or call to mind. To have in memory"  

And that makes sense. It's how we typically use the word in today's society and grammar. 

But there's a different definition that makes more sense. The definition which tells us that the word means "commemorate, pay tribute to, or honor."  When it's used in sentences such as "remember me to Charlie" or "the congress should be remembered in our prayers." 

In that context, it becomes a word that deals less with memory, and more with how we react to something. How we think of something.  

I know what Hebrews says, but I also know that God cannot forget. He is omniscient, and as such is incapable of forgetting that I have sinned.  But He can just not think on it. 

And that is how we should approach our own life and sins. We know that we have committed them. They're a part of us, and nothing can now change them. They exist as a part of the tapestry of our life and self. But at the same time we do not need to let them define us or control us. When we seek His forgiveness, when we accept it, we are cleaned.  His grace is perfect, and to not forgive ourselves implies otherwise. 

Journal Prompt: Is there anything that you've not forgiven yourself of? 

Proverbs 18:1 -- Don't Isolate Yourself

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Proverbs 18:1 (ESV)

At times, I stumble across a verse like the above, and can almost feel the despair trying to creep in. The thing is that this is a verse that at first glance appears to be diametrically opposed to major aspects of my personality.

I'm an introvert. 

I'm an introvert with all that that concept entails. I don't like crowds. I'd rather interact with people individually than with groups. And I'd rather that person be my wife over pretty much anyone else.

What's probably worse, is that I'm a shy introvert. So not only do I not need the interaction, I'm hesitant about generating it in the first place.

So, with the way that my nature works, how does that conform with the verse from Proverbs?

The thing is that this verse is directed against those who willfully turn themselves against society, family and their church. It's not a direct indictment against those of us who are introverts.

It's an indictment of those who do things against public opinion "just because."

It's an indictment against those who breaks traditions and customs, because of no other reason than to break them.

It's an indictment of those who do not seek other peoples opinions.

Ultimately, this is an indictment against selfishness. For that is the type of isolation, of separation, which this verse talks about. Someone who is so self-assured, of their ideas, ideals and own conceits, that they seek no guidance from anyone.

Not even God.

It's a simple fact, humanity does not do well in isolation. We are social creatures. We are not made to be alone, and loneliness can destroy us: physically, emotionally and spiritually.

When left entirely to our own devices, when we have no check on our ideas or our egos, we quickly, and often happily, turn to selfishness. When it's just us alone, nothing else matters but our self.

What's worse, and why the verse always stops me, is that this is an easy state of being for introverts to fall into.

If we're not careful, we'll gladly step back from all of society, away from friends, from the church, even our families; clustering ourselves away from any and all. We will stop seeking human contact and when trouble appears in our lives, we turn to no one.

And from there, from that place where we seek out no one, where we feel that we need no one, it's a short step to condemning social interactions, and those who thrive on it.  You start judging the extroverts that flicker through a party, deeming them inferior, shallow, less intelligent, as they jump from group to group generating small talk. You condemn the small talk, feeling that the subjects are worth your attention or efforts. And eventually, you even think that of the people there.

Selfishness. Judgment. Condemnation.

That's the indictment of this proverb.




Journal Prompt:   How do you feel about being alone?

John 14:15 -- The Commands of Christ

If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments

John 14:15 (AMP)

This is a simple statement from Christ. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Jesus sets up this relationship between love and obedience, where obedience produces love and love suggests obedience and supplies it with motive and purpose.  This was not an question of doubt on His part, Christ knew his disciples (who He was speaking to) loved him, but he uses that distinction of love, as an argument of identification.  

It's not a statement aimed solely at his disciples, but aimed at any and all who would, had or will ever love him.  It's aimed at all who are born again, who have had sight of him, whether physical or spiritual.  It's aimed at those who believe in him and have received him, and most of all those whom belong to him.

Christ is identifying this group, and then gives them a command.

And remember that Chris is the bridegroom of the church. He is the Creator. He is God, and He is construed as the husband to the church. It is his right to issues us commands. It is his right to ask us to heed what he asks of us.  

But He goes further than this. In just the next verse, he promises us that He will send the Holy Spirit to help and comfort us, to always be there with us.  This is the great promise of our obedience, for He does not forsake us and He will not leave us.  

But what would these commandments be? What are we to keep and obey? 

While He did speak a number of commands throughout the four gospels, and those commands are clearly, and plainly spoken, there is a danger in this.  People see the simplicity of these commands, and think that that's the end-all and be-all of the path. They compare these words to Confucius or the Buddha and find similarities, and think that any peaceful path is enough. 

But the ultimately command of Christ, is to be Christ-like. 

The point of the New Testament is not "Follow Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3." If that had been the case, if that was what Christ was offering, we could have just as easily remained under the Law. No, the point is to copy Christ; to emulate Him. 

The point is to attempt to become as much like Him as possible. And we do this by prayer and praise, and learning. We do this by asking for patience and love and joy. 

And as we emulate Christ, as we model our lives and outlooks and responses on His, we fall into a pattern of loving God and others. We fall into patterns of peace and joy.  As we do this, we learn and know that his commandments give us a fulfilling and joy filled life.  As we love him, we want to follow this, we want to be more Christ like; to know him more and to have a closer relationship with him.

And we then go and re-read that verse, and realize that it's not so much a command. It's not Christ saying this must be done if you love me. He's saying that loving me changes everything. It remodels our life and outlook such that when we do love Him, we keep his commandments, and we realize that this verse is not a rule or an edict handed down from on high. 

It's an assurance.

Journal Prompt: List 3 things you can change to make your life more Christlike.

1 Chronicles 16:27 -- God's Presence

Majestic splendor emanates from Him, He is the source of strength and joy. 

1 Chronicles 16:27 (NET)

In the hunt for a joy-filled life, there is a simple and easy way to get there: seeking God's presence. 

When we hunt His presence, when we seek Him, we can find ourselves in a cycle where we take on those attributes of Christ, which in turn makes us seek His presence more. It's a beautiful cycle, which generates glory for Him, glory which reflects in and through our lives. 

But why is this important? Why is this needed? 

Well first, God desires a relationship with us. He calls us sons and daughters,  This cannot be reiterated enough. He wants us to be His children, and to do that, we must spend time with Him. And beyond that, we should desire that type of communion.  When we accept Christ into our lives, with enter into a convent with Him.  Something eternal, and glorious. 

The second reason this is important is because by focusing on God, and by finding Him, we both create and fulfill the requirements for a joy-filled life. The Bible is clear that focusing our attention on God leads to a state of being that can be considered joy-filled. 

And joy is a state of being that we should strive for. It's a steady, even emotion, without the highs and lows of happiness, and it's a lingering emotion, unlike the ephemeral nature of happiness.  And why it might not burn in our hearts as brightly, it's a more fulfilling and lasting thing. 

A joy-filled life is one that is well lived.  

So search for that peace. Give Him praise and worship. Seek out the majestic splendor which emanates from Him, and always remember that He is the source of strength and joy. 

Journal Prompt: How can you find His presence?

Romans 5:3 -- The Joy of Troubles

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient.

Romans 5:3 (TLB)

When I was young, one of the leaders of the church I was attending told us that we should never pray for patience, for if we did, then God would send troubles our way so that we could learn patience. 

And for years after, those words stayed with me, even today, I can hear them being spoken as clear as day.  They were constantly at the edge of my awareness, lingering there. A disquiet of thought, a constant source of not right.  Why were those the words I remembered from that particular teacher. What made them memorable, when from just a simple consideration they seemed like so much philosophical fluff. 

And let's be honest. That's what that is. It's philosophical fluff.  There is no greater meaning, no deep truths. Just a trite phrase, said in such a way as to make some random adult laugh. 

A few years after hearing it, I decided to take those words apart, and determine why they had rang so false to me. And in doing so, I ran head first into Romans 5:3. 

As Christians we are supposed to be patient. It should be our default stance when dealing with the world. 

Likewise, we cannot allow the troubles and problems of this world affect our joy; affect our search for Christ. To the point that we are to take joy in those troubles.  For God is our God through all times. When things go right, when life is easy, as well as when the storms threatens everything. God is still God. He is our light and joy, and the author and finisher of our faith. 

To deny troubles, to deny the chance to learn patience, to not learn what He wishes us to know, is akin to a slap to His face. For the Bible is quite clear, troubles build patience, patience character and character builds hope.  

It's how it grows, and how we do. We suffer a problem, a setback, and we trust in Him. We are patient with the things that are aggravating us, we become patience, we become calm. We show character, and display hope.  Without patience, there is no hope. It cannot grow. 

And without patience, without that calm understanding of our self, there can be no joy.  

Patience is at the root of so many of the emotions and feelings that we as Christians should be feeling.  

And even today, I still rejoice in those troubles that I have faced, the problems that I have suffered through, for I know that they have helped me grow. Helped me develop patience and character. 

And hope. 

Journal Prompt: How have you tried to build patience lately?

John 15:11 -- Not Happy, Joyful

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

John 15:11 (NASB)

In American society today, we have a tendency to minimize words. We see words that are almost the same as other words, and attempt to combine them, to make them mean the same thing.

An example of this is happiness and joy.  

These are both emotions that are similar to each other, but in their similarities lay a wide expanse of differences that makes all the difference in the world.  

When it comes down to it, happiness is an immediate emotion. It's responsive from some external stimulus.  Things make you happy. Events make you happy. Even people can make you happy. 

But that happiness is ephemeral. Fleeting. The way our mind works, is that that spike of happiness is quickly processed and functionally dismissed. We see it, feel it, and are ready to move onto the next thing that can make us feel it. 

Joy though, is an abiding emotion.  It's harder to find, and harder to maintain, primarily because it comes from not from something that we do, but from who we are. From when we are at peace with ourselves and with God. It comes from that stillness of the soul when we commune with God. 

It's hard to have joy in your life. It's something that you have to actively desire, to actively want, and to try for.

Compare that to happiness, which is easy to find. Anything can give you a nice jolt of happiness. A joke. Seeing someone for the first time in a while. Sex. Music. Completed a hard task. Movies. Drugs.   But that happiness is a lie, a falsehood. It is a pale imitation of true joy. 

And if joy is so hard to find. So hard to maintain and keep and nurture, why bother? And the answer is because Christ wants it of us.  consider the quoted verse from John that's listed above. Those final words "and that your joy may be made full." 

That's Christ exhorting believers into joy. He taught us that loving, and being loved by, God is the ideal perfect form of humanity. And through that love, through knowing His love, and loving Him in turn, we find the joy of life and Him.  That perfect form provides a deep abiding satisfaction, a joy, in the depths of our soul that flows forth, and touches everything in our lives. 

Galatians 5:22 describes joy as a fruit of the spirit.  When we love God, when we bask in the light and warmth of His love, then just like a flowering plant, we create those fruits. 

And that brings us to the shortcut to joy.  For finding joy is hard, Searching for it within your own self is nigh impossible.  Yet, if we take that simple step of loving God, then its there waiting for us, like a ripened strawberry waiting to be picked. 

Journal Prompt: What do you think about when you consider the concept of joy 

Luke 12:15 -- Guard against Greed

Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.”

Luke 12:15 (ICB)

Guard against all kind's of greed.  

This is actually a recurring theme in a lot of places in the Bible. As Christians we're supposed to effectively not be greedy.  But what does that really mean?  

The dictionary defines greed as the "intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food." 

And there in is the hook for why greed is so harmful to us.  It's an intense and selfish desire for things.  A desire that's overwhelming to the point that it excludes the other aspects of life, but especially that of our relationship with God. 

For when you have this overwhelming desire as described, it's never fulfilled. It can never be fulfilled, because of how our mind works. As we gather the things we covet, whether that's wealth, food or even Pokemon cards, we always see that there's another, something else, that we just have to have, to possess. Isaiah 56:11 describes humanity as "greedy dogs which can never have enough,"  and it's true. We want things, we desire things, and if those desires, those base impulses are left unchecked, we will do so to the determent of everything in our life. 

Again, and again, the Bible shows us pictures of those who have allowed greed to lead them to ruin, probably the most prominent being Gehazi, a servant of Elisha, in 2 Kings 5:20-27. 

But this verse goes even further. It reads "all kinds of greed," or actually "of every kind of covetousness" in the original versions.  This is not just a desire for anything, but this is the desire to own things to the point of evil.  Later, the Bible clearly states that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  And it's clear, it's not the money that is the root of all evil, but that overwhelming desire for it.  That covetousness or greed. 

What's worse is that not only is that overwhelming desire bad for us in that it takes us away from God, takes our focus away from Him, but it also leads us further into evil. For as we gather more of what we covet, as less of it becomes available for us to claim, we start considering and justifying the measures we should go to receive the remaining portions of whatever it is.   It's not just the root of all evil, but it's the pathway to further evil that so many of us happily follow. 

Yet, that was not the end of Jesus' statement. When he clearly identified that we need to guard against greed, he also clearly stated that "a man's life is not measured by the many things he owns."  

And this is something else that we have to remember, especially for us here in America. We have almost made it "keeping up with the Joneses" our national past time.  We compare what we have, what we've done and what we do to each other so much, and then struggle to go out of our way to attempt to one up everyone.  

The extravagant and wild ways that soon-to-be parents are doing "gender reveals" in regards to their unborn children is an example of this.  Twelve years ago, right before the birth of my second son, I had never even heard of a "reveal party."  Then they started. First it was cakes. Then balloons. Then exploding confetti.  I've even seen explosions and dust croppers.  

It's an on-going effort to compare ourselves, our lives, against our neighbors.  Both coveting what they have as well as attempting to get ahead of them on the curve, so that we could become the benchmark. 

And in the end it's greed. And covetousness. And that greed, that desire to one-up and to own more, it destroys us. It destroys the enjoyment that we can get out of things, and even destroys our self-image. 

Ultimately, it's a selfish desire to have what they have, not just the social or material standings, but also to possess that concept of being the benchmark by which the neighbors judge. 

And in the end, that's not how our life is judged.  It's not how those left behind after our death judge us, and it's not how Christ judges us after our deaths.

Journal Prompt:  Is there anything in your life that you're greedy for? Why? Do you compare your life to one of your neighbors or friends? Why?

Mark 4:19 -- Distractions

But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

Mark 4:19 (CEV)

Distractions are everywhere. 

We're constantly bombarded by this world in an effort to distract us, to shift our attention this way and that. Always after the next thing, or the next event. Televisions, movies, social media, these are all constant sources of distractions in our lives.  Lust and love rip our attention from everything, with the ending of these relationships the worst offenders of all. Even serving others can be a distraction, an effort to take our focus off of things, to keep our hands busy so we don't need time to reflect on our own lives. 

And we all love it. We eat it up, and let these distractions consume us. 

Neal Postman wrote a book entitled Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.  In it, he discussed Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World, and explicitly wrote this about Huxley's vision of the future, "Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy."

As Postman wrote, and Huxley feared, the problem with these distractions, is not the distraction itself. Rather it's the fact that these distractions are empty.  They lack substance and vitality.  It's not the fact that there's a movie or television show to watch or a book to read, it's the fact that the movie or book lacks inspiration. It doesn't provide any sustenance, or a fuel to our relationship with God. So often, these movies don't even provide true entertainment. 

Rather, it's just a short jolt of adrenaline, or a nice feeling. It doesn't cause reflection or provoke thoughts. The purpose is to be popular. 

This type of entertainment doesn't make us better, it simplifies us; mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

This even applies to so-called Christian entertainment. 

Even to some of the praise and worship songs we sing.

I've stood in a church, were everyone was singing a wonderful, upbeat, thriving song about loving Christ, which had words within it which I knew contradicted the Bible. I did not, sing. Worse, when I asked about it, when I pointed out the issues about the lyrics, I was presented with a counter-argument that I was thinking about it to hard, and that it was a Christian song, so the words did not really matter. 

What can the response to that be?  How could the words not matter, when the words were the only thing that truly made it a Christian song?  

But that worship leader, and all of the congregation had been distracted. They had been distracted so much by the enjoyment of singing that song, that they had not paid attention to what they were actually singing. 

We, as Christians, are not supposed to be like that.  We're supposed to know the Bible. We're supposed to live life. 

And we're supposed to think.

We, as Christians, should produce and consume art that makes us think. Our entertainment, should be things that point out the flaws in all of us, the depths that we as humans can fall, as well as the heights to which we can soar. We need to see all of this, all of the human condition in order to effectively communicate about salvation. 

Journal Prompt: What distractions do I have that cause me to neglect my spiritual journey? 

Jeremiah 29:13 -- Focus on God

You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!

Jeremiah 29:13 (NCV)

There is an often used statement, which the above verse always brings to mind: "What consumes your mind controls your life."

It's a simple fact of life, the focus of our thoughts, controls our reality. 

It's even a common refrain from self-help books, and websites. A litany of commands, and iteration on the concept of focus. They lead with the simple statement of "If you want something, the desire for it should consume you."

And from a certain point of view, they are correct. You find what you search for diligently. When you throw your all into the search, every facet of your being, and thoughts and soul into the hunt, you can succeed.  When you go to bed every night, with thoughts of a goal in mind, and wake every morning with that same goal on your lips, you will find a way to make it to it.  For good or ill.

That fact, that ability of focus is what this verse is talking about. It's God, telling us that He knows that we can hunt something with that single-mindedness. That we can focus upon Him, search for Him.

And when someone seeks the Lord in that way, they always find Him.

They find the prayer hearing God. The favor-bestowing God. The God who indulges those who have a strong relationship with Him.

Our God is a merciful God, granting us Grace and mercy, both in this world and the next.

But how should we seek Him? What is the correct way?

In John 14:23 Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him"  (NASB). This is a clear condition on the part of man, in how we are to approach God. We are to do so in obedience to His word. 

Now, note that we live under grace. That is a gift from God that He bestows willingly to us.  But God craves a relationship with us. He wants us to love him, as He loves us. Where a believer has true love for Christ in their heart, they will find obedience to the laws of Christ easy. Love is this overarching concept that is to dominate our lives, and where love is, His commands follows on.

So follow His commands, love one another, and keep your focus on God.  Let that focus consume you.



Journal Prompt: What has your focus been on today? What did you go to sleep thinking about last night, and woke up considering this morning?

Ephesians 2:8 - By Grace Alone

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Ephesians 2:8 (NASB)

I often wonder how those who first read those words in Paul's letter to the Ephesians took them.  Consider, the religions of the time, even that of the Jews, were often bloody things. Sanctification often came through animal sacrifice and burnt offerings.  For the Jews of this time period, their life revolved around a list of laws, of yoke of things that must be obeyed and practiced and kept. A list of sins which could not be cleansed, but only covered slightly by the blood offering of the sacrificial lamb. The Greeks of Ephesians were not all that different, though their morality lent itself more towards lacking hubris and moderation, they still had to appease the various gods with sacrifices, both of animals and of other things such as wine or oils. 

And then Paul's letter appears, teaching the above, the big three tenets of Christian beliefs: Faith, Grace, and Salvation.  

How those sentences must have burned in their breasts. This new thing of grace. This concept that God loves us, and we don't have to follow random lists of rules to try and earn that love, that he's willing to just give it to us. That he wants to. 

I grew up in the church, and heard these concepts from a young age, I knew them. I understood them.  Even as I learned them, and knew them, I did not always hear them. These words, that were parts of the coloring pages from Sunday School, that were verses from songs during praise and worship, and ultimately spoken from the pulpit Sunday in and Sunday out, had lost their context. I knew them, I could recite, and sing of them, but I often did not grasp the immediacy of them.  

I did not think like those first believers, in awe and wonder that God Himself was gracing us with this gift of salvation. 

To be honest, sometimes I still have trouble internalizing them; I have trouble thinking that God has this gift of salvation for me.  After all, why me? What did I do to deserve this?  I've not been glorified. I stumble. I fall and I fail. 

And at those times I struggle to really remember what grace is. I try to not just know it, not just internalize and understand it, but to approach the entire concept with fire and awe and a desire. I remember that grace is that love and mercy which God gives us not because we worked for it. Not because we are nice to others. Not because we have paid for it. Not because we have begged for it. Not even because we deserve it.  God grants us His grace, simply because he wants us to have it.  

That he loves us, and cares for us, and desires to know us. 

I remember that grace can only be gained by willingly accepting, what God freely offers.

Journal Prompt: Who do you want to lift up in prayer today?  Why?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- Why Give Thanks?

Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CEV)

I heard a story once. 

Two old men were sitting on a park bench, the first looked to the second, and saw that the man was sad, almost crying.  The first man asked, "What has you so upset?"

The sad man glanced towards the first, "Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me fifty thousand dollars."

"I'm sorry for your loss. " 

"But you see, two weeks ago, my aunt died and left me a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And that was after the taxes."

"Well, it seems like you've been blessed even in the face of this tragedy."

"You don't understand," the sad man interrupted. His hands flying upwards with emotion. "Last week, my great-aunt died and left me another half-million dollars."

"Then tell me, what has you so sad?"

"This week....nothing!"

Why should we give thanks? 

The simplest answer is that God has asked us too. That we thank Him for all that we are, have, and the circumstances of our life. Giving thanks is intimately tied into giving Praise to Him.  In fact, I say that it would be nearly impossible to praise Him without thanking Him. 

Yet, for all that, showing, feeling, and expressing thankfulness is a beneficial action. It's good for us, and helps us both physically and psychologically.  

The alternative, if we are not grateful and thankful for what we have, means that we can quickly become arrogant, and self-centered. This is not just in our relationship with Christ, but in the one we have with family, friends and co-workers.  We don't see the things we have as gifts, and things that are good, but rather as something that is our due. That we are owed such things, no matter the cost to others. 

A lack of gratefulness can damage a relationship, as surely and as easily as harsh words.

But, it goes above and beyond that. As is the case with so many of these simple facts which God has asked us to do, giving thanks, being grateful, has a number of health benefits that have been studied and scientifically proven.

Being grateful can:

• Improve self-esteem and other positive emotions
• Cause feeling of jealousy, envy and even depression to fall away
• Improve sleep 
• Generate friendships 
• Reduce antagonists

All of these things, are important and healthy, but being grateful also means that we appreciate our life, and what we have.  Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. researches the science of gratitude, and writes (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good), "research on emotion shows that positive emotions wear off quickly. Our emotional systems like newness. They like novelty. They like change. We adapt to positive life circumstances so that before too long, the new car, the new spouse, the new house—they don’t feel so new and exciting anymore."

Think on that. When we get something positive in our life, something good, our bodies immediately start a countdown that means we no longer thing about those things. That we stop considering how nice it is to have a roof over our heads, or full bellies. 

But being thankful changes that. It reminds us that we have this things. That those things have value, and that prolongs the length of time we spend enjoying them, and it also means that we're less likely to take them for granted. 

So let us remember to give thanks.  Tell your husband and wife thank you the next time they do something, anything, around you. Tell your children thank you, when they behave. Tell your parents thank you, when they sit down to a meal with you. Tell your boss thank you for working with you. Tell your friends thank you for being your friend. And tell a waitress thank you when she sets your drink down. 

But above all, tell God thank you. We should do so to remind ourselves of all that God has given to us. To be grateful for all that He has done for us. And to be thankful for everything that He has in mind for our future. 

Acts 2:42 -- Isolation

They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Acts 2:42 (WEB)

I'm very much an introvert. A fact that's worsened by a dose of shyness.  I enjoy the times that I'm at the house alone, or with just my family. Likewise, I tend to be uncomfortable in crowds. Even small ones of 10 people or so.  In fact, it might be better to say that I crave the sense of solitude, and peace.   

And except for a short time in my  teenage years when I could not understand why I was so different than everyone else my age, I've accepted this. I'm comfortable in myself, and have come to grips fairly well with my various flaws, and the pursuits I'm taking in mitigating them.

But for all that I enjoy my solitude, at the same time I know that too much of it is not a good thing. If you get yourself too folded up in solitude, then that quickly shifts from something peaceful to an overwhelming sense of isolation. Something that can easily lead us to depression. 

The truth of the matter is that we're not supposed to be alone. We are made in God's image, male and female.  We crave relationships, and time with those that love us. 

In Acts 2:42, St. Luke discusses how the early church acted, expressly, he stated that the church continued in the apostle's teaching and in fellowship. That word fellowship is translated from κοινωνία koinōnia, and denotes having things in common, or participation, society, or friendship.  

But it's clear that the early church spent a lot of time together. Time spent learning, and in fellowship with one another.  Being friendly. Actions which usually ended with a meal modeled after the Last Supper (a meal followed with the Lord's Supper).  The point is that the church knew we need one another.  God even knew this at the beginning of everything, as after He had created man, he said "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him" (Genesis 2:18).

So, if you are an introvert, glory in the solitude and silences, but don't forget to gather together with friends, family and others for fellowship and socialization. Realize that being in those large groups, though uncomfortable, can ultimately help you as you create new friendships. It's okay to feel awkward and conspicuous, just don't let your initial feelings drive you from others.  It's okay to get your friends together with you, in pairs or even one at a time.  And it's okay to let your friends sometimes drag you to the large social things.

Additionally, if you're an extrovert, don't forget those of us who are introverts. Realize that we don't always thrive in large groups, but often truly enjoy time spent with others in small groups. That we may sometimes beg off the big parties or large social events. That it's okay if you don't drag us to the largest crowds, but that it's also okay if sometimes you do.  It's also okay to have a meal with just your introvert friend at times, you don't always have to invite a dozen other people. 

Know this, we're created to engage in relationships. To form friendships and bonds. With Him and with one another. 

Journal prompt: Describe specific challenges in some of your various relationships, and the last time you felt uncomfortable from being around too many people, or too few people. 

Mark 4:19 -- No Goals, Pursuit

and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19 (YLT)

I work in a very dedicated and defined Goal based industry. As a programmer, I have goals constantly. Deadlines, and product requirements. How many issuers per reporting cycle is acceptable, and even how many times clients can lose connectivity to the software as a metric.  Lines of code. Total aggregated bill hours as an average of time spent.

All of these metrics and things to aim for just clutter my life.  

And then you stroll down the self-help section, and see it cluttering the shelves there.  A quick search of the self help section on the kindle, provides the following book list:

• GO! How to Get Going and Achieve your Goals and Dreams : A book for women and girls by Marcia K. Morgan
• Goals! How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy
• Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals by Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D. & Carol S. Dweck
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney & Sean Covey
• The One Goal: Master The Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battles, and Achieve Exceptional Results (Free Workbook Included) by Thibault Meurisse

And it goes on and on. A crushing weight of expectations.  We teach our children, and ourselves that we all need these goals to aim for. That we should have some defined point to which we're struggling and pushing ourselves.  That everything we do, and try, should be a struggle against the odds grasping at this random point that we've defined for ourselves. 

Now don't get me wrong. Goals aren't bad in and of themselves. Having something to aim for can be helpful. It's a necessity of fact in the business world.  If I didn't have goals as a developer, how would my boss know that I'm meeting my duties to him and our clients? 

But when we look at goals as the end all and be all of our existence. When we focus on the anxieties of this age and the deceitfulness of the riches, then we're taking our focus off of what's truly important. 

Basically, the old saying "It's not the destination, it's the journey" has the truth of things. We don't need to focus our lives and selves on the goals. Doing so, takes our attention from the one true goal of a Christian life.  Rather, we should focus ourselves on our pursuits. 

And our pursuits should be focused on the Lord.  Jeremiah 29:13 reads "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 

God is clear on this. When we seek him, when we pursue him, and not the goals of this world, then He will provide.  

Journal Prompt: How can I change one of my life goals into a pursuit for God? 

John 10:10 -- Enjoy Life

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

As Christians we are called to have abundant life.  It's something that's not often not considered or even thought of. There's a popular conception of the Christian as something less, as someone who does not live life to the same extent as non-Christians, especially non-believers.

This is a lie. A half-truth, told to draw us away or keep us away from Christ.

It's an effort to keep us from looking at where true satisfaction comes from. Instead, it's an effort to draw us to look at the wrong things to build happiness and satisfaction. Work. Personal pleasure. Learning things. Or even just buying the next new toy. 

Fulfillment and an abundant life comes from God, and your relationship for him. Beauty, strength, growth, eternity; all gifts from God, granted from Him in abundance.

I'm thankful for the abundance of life He has given to me. My wife and children; their health and general happiness. The joy I find in my family, friends and even my work.


Journal prompt: What is the abundance of life for you?