Thanks Living

v. 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, v. 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. v. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. v. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads
to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
v. 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns,
and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, v. 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. v. 21 Submit to one another out
of reverence for Christ. —Ephesians 5 : 15 – 21 (NIV)

Thankfulness is an essential ingredient
of our Christian journey. Gratefulness takes our
mind off our problems. It fosters contentment in
our hearts. It helps to renew our faith, hope, and
joy. Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude, especially to God. Thanksliving is the expression
of gratitude in our hearts to God shown through
our actions. A life of thanksliving is a life of love.
It’s a life of giving. So, how do we get from thanksgiving to thanksliving?
In Ephesians, Paul gives the church several nuggets of wisdom: be very careful how you live;
make the most of your time; understand the
Lord’s will; be filled with the Spirit; sing and
make music from your heart to the Lord; always give thanks for everything; and submit to one another. All of these occupy a life of thanksliving. Today, we live in an ungrateful world. People are discontent with various things. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves being ungrateful.
If you find yourself being discontent, the Word says to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. (Psalm 100:4) Giving thanks and praise go hand in hand. Start with a song; it sets the atmosphere for prayer and communion with God. It shifts our focus from
what we don’t have to “Lord, I thank you.”
It’s November, the month of Thanksgiving;
a month of being grateful for the abundance that the Lord has blessed us. Let us be thankful; not only for what we have but also for who God is.
May God strengthen and bless you.

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Barbara Kile Mathews, Pastor