(1st Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(Philippians 4:5-6, ESV) Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
When I'm feeling bummed or in just a bit of a funk, I find that scripture is wise to instruct us to "give thanks in all circumstances" and "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Every circumstance is a good circumstance to express thankfulness to God. Sometimes when we talk about what we're thankful for, the massive things come to mind, like salvation and God's love. But just as often we can express thankfulness for all the little tiny things that give us pleasure.
Recently I asked my fellow geeks on the Christian Geek Central Forums to sound off about what they are grateful for,whether weighty or trivial, in the moment God has placed them in today. Here's what some of the had to say:
"Rohelf":
-My boyfriend, who I can enjoy hours-long geeky conversation with and who can always make me smile
-A good job and a safe and comfortable house (as the least financially-successful member of my immediate family, sometimes I have to remind myself not to be envious, and that I still have more than I need)
-Hot running water, indoor climate control, and fast reliable communication; the top three reasons I'm glad I live in this century
-Imagination (both mine and others')
-Azaleas. As far as I can tell, they're not good for anything practical, but for about two weeks a year they look gorgeous... it's silly, but it helps confirm to me that God made the world to be enjoyed, not just endured.
"Drew.Rub":
Family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ
Roof over my head, food in my belly, and steady income (all things I tend to take for granted)
My wife for more reasons than I can count
The Star Wars universe, where I mentally live as I go throughout my day. (Hospitals = medcenters, my IT job title = slicer, my car = land speeder, church = temple, students = younglings. Okay, am I totally a geek or just mentally unstable?)
"WhiteBoy":
salvation..I am so unworthy.
My wife...ditto.
My kids...I pray for the last two's salvation and that I can bring them all up in the Lord.
My church...especially my pastor, but also the family there.
My job...they have a good sense of a balanced life.
Electricity....only takes a short while without it to realize that almost everything I do and enjoy depends on it.
I'll add to that that I'm grateful for:
my boys, who have been driving me nuts lately.
Man Of Steel, the best superhero movie I've seen in the better part of a decade
My wife, my most faithful audience member
God's ridiculously tireless mercy toward me
The Tactical RPG Video Game Genre
The opportunity to serve God creatively and share truth with others
(James 1:17, ESV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Although we can tend to compartmentalize our lives and only attribute "spiritual blessings" to God, he's the originator of every good thing we enjoy in life, and deserving of all the credit!
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