Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s spend this post Thanksgiving day developing an attitude of gratitude for others.

In today’s scripture, Philippians 1:3-6 (NLT), the Apostle Paul wrote…
[3] Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. [4] Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, [5] for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. [6] And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Consider…
I hope everyone who celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday had a wonderful day with friends and family. If you’re like me, I hope you enjoyed sending and receiving Thanksgiving greetings to/from the people you are thankful to have in your life.

When listening to the Holy Spirit for today’s post, I was amazed that some of my traditional Thanksgiving text shares are similar to Paul’s in today’s scripture. In fact, I often use verse 3 as part of my shares.

As I read the surrounding verses for context, I also came across another regularly requoted verse, which is the last one included in our passage today. The fact that verses 3 and 6 are staples in my library of appreciation and encouragement to others, inspired me to look at the verses in between.

Verse 4 says…
Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy

As a child I listened to my mom languish over her children in prayer, and as a father I came to understand why. I have also found myself following in her footsteps. If we’re honest, many of us complain more than give thanks for the ones we love. We ask God to fix, change, save or help them as we deem necessary. But when I read verse 4, I am convicted that I too often neglect to pray with joy for those God has placed in my life to love and appreciate.

You see praying with joy means praying with…
Jesus’ love and grace for
Others instead of
Your selfish expectations and desires

I believe our prayers would be drastically different if we thanked God for, rather than complained about, those He’s entrusted us to love. It’s a completely different prayer that we’d pray if we prayed God’s will for others rather than ours.

So I challenge and encourage you to practice thanking God and praying with joy for the people in your life.

Next, verse 5 says…
for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

It’s a shame that Jesus had to say in John 13:34-35 (NLT)…
[34] So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. [35] Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

And what a pity that the Holy Spirit had to inspire 1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)…
[11] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. [12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

I say it’s a pity and shame because you shouldn’t have to make people who claim to love and appreciate you, treat those whom you love in a loving way. As a father, witnessing any animist among my children or friends broke my heart.

I believe that why God reemphasized His love expectation in 1 John 4:20-21 (NLT), which says…
[20] If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? [21] And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Too many believers will identify with and support people based on skin color, political affiliation, economic status, or religious practices, rather than familial connection to fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Unfortunately this is true despite Jesus’ example and words in Matthew 12:48-50 (NLT)…
[48] Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” [49] Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. [50] Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

When anyone accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they join His family of believers.

Yet, the verses that precede the communion passage many churches recite denounces the divisions in the church. 1 Corinthians 11:18-22 (NLT) says…
[18] First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. [19] But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized! [20] When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. [21] For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. [22] What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

The Apostle Paul spent significant energy addressing and admonishing the disunity in the church.

The Holy Spirit is emphasizing, defective lights are ineffective in illuminating the path to Christ. For some reason we don’t get the fact that people in a dysfunctional world aren’t interested in joining people in a dysfunctional church. That’s because dysfunction plus dysfunction equals more dysfunction. I believe that’s why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to tell believers to FUNCTION like Christ’s body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NLT) explains…
[12] The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. [13] Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. [14] Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

And 1 Corinthians 12:22-26 (NLT) expounds…
[22] In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. [23] And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, [24] while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. [25] This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. [26] If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

The Holy Spirit is emphasizing we should be grateful and thank God for our fellow believers. That aligns with the loving thing that Christ told His disciples and us to do.

So I challenge and encourage you to practice thanking God and praying for fellow believers who are helping you light the way to Christ.

The Holy Spirit just showed me an important fact about practice, which is we do more of it than actually playing the game. It also includes non-game skills like running for endurance, and singular skill development. I hear Him saying extend the grace that has been extended to you. You know the grace that made Jesus die for you while you were an enemy of God.

I believe the Holy Spirit is telling us to practice loving, appreciating, and thanking God for one another here on earth in preparation for loving and appreciating God together for eternity.

Lastly, if we’re all going to be like Jesus in the end, why waste time letting our temporary differences divide us in the here and now.

It seems only fitting that I close this post by thanking God for you, my sibling-in-Christ, with JOY.

I love and appreciate you, in Jesus name, Amen.

Today’s Song is…
Love One Another

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)