Got joy?

Happy Thanksgiving! At New Covenant Bible church last night we had our annual Thanksgiving Eve service and yours truly was privileged to lead it. I also was able to play in the band which was a lot of fun. Thanks Gary for letting me join the band tonight!

I concluded the evening with a short devo talk that I wanted to share with you today. Here you go!

Got Joy?

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NET

Do not be anxious! -Anxiety is caused by a being overwhelmed with cares that we are often not in control of. I don't know about you, but I have often been weighed down with anxiety when I worry about things that are out of my control.

with thanksgiving - this is the key to this entire passage right here. Yes it is important to pray. But if you pray and at the same time you harbor unforgiveness and ungratefulness you may as well not be praying.

...and the peace of God...will guard your hearts and minds.... How can having a grateful heart “guard your heart and mind?” When we have an ungrateful heart it leads to some pretty ugly things like bitterness, anxiety, and an inability to enjoy the life God wants us to live.

Check out what Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church says in his book Uprising regarding the need to have a grateful heart, a heart of thanksgiving:

When we are grateful, we see and experience life with a healthy optimism. When we lack gratitude, we move toward pessimism and even cynicism. (Uprising p120)

An grateful heart always sees what is wrong with life. The longer we live without gratitude, the more embittered we become. The more embittered we become, the more we find ourselves overwhelmed with depression. (Uprising p120)

For in the same way that gratitude leads to wholeness, bitterness will leave us shattered and broken. In this condition we will find ourselves unable to experience the life God dreams for us…. (Uprising p120)

Bitterness creates and illusion of control and power. Bitterness is a form of hate. It is anger facing backwards. Bitterness requires that you live in the past; hope requires that you live for tomorrow. Gratitude not only allows you to enjoy the present, but keeps you looking forward to the future. (Uprising p120-1)

Bitterness is a terrible thing and it happens when we (1) choose not to forgive others, and (2) we are ungrateful for the life God has blessed us with, no matter the circumstances.

The reality is we don’t deserve anything. EVERYTHING is a gift from God and were it not for his gracious hand we would not have anything to be thankful for.

Today is an annual reminder to be thankful for all that we have. Let's be thankful today! Tye out.