One Rascal At A Time

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:17

     Yesterday, God spoke sternly to us through His Word and "Jesus Calling" about the stream of complaining, the discontentedness and general contrariness that can fill our spirits and gush out of our mouths. 

 "Do everything without complaining or arguing

so that you may become blameless and pure,

children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

in which you shine like stars in the universe."

Philippians 2:14-15

     Today, He reminds us of the antidote, the cure, for the dissatisfied soul. Surprisingly, it's less expensive than retail-therapy and doesn't involve packing my bags to start over somewhere else. Yesterday was about "Do everything without complaining" and today is 

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"  Ephesians 5:20

      Always. For all things. Maybe this will cost more than I wanted to pay after all.

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, 

and giving of thanks be made for all men"

1 Timothy 2:1

     and giving of thanks be made for all men. All people. Don't turn away from that thought like I want to do: "Giving of thanks be made for all men."  Yes, I can do that! - I can thank God for congregations, masses, crowds, nations. I have no problem thanking God for humankind when they're lumped together, only when they're pulled apart, like individual splinters from a chunk of wood. After all, what causes dissatisfaction in our lives?  What most often sets off the alarms of anger and frustration? It tends to happen one rascal at a time.

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," Matthew 5:44

"bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Luke 6:28

Father, we don't feel thankful for people who mistreat us, seem bent on making us look bad, delight in our failures, pour salt in our wounds, or take what we thought was intended for us.  It's hard to have a thankful heart when we feel abandoned or burned by people who claim to love us.  But Your Word says to thank You for them and so we offer You the sacrifice of our thank offerings for them now.  

Hebrews 13:15"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me, 

and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." 

Psalm 50:23

Thank You for the brothers who sold us out: they intended it for evil, but You use it to teach us humility and to prepare us for leadership.  Thank You for the Judas who broke our hearts; You use him to teach us discernment and dependence on You rather than people. Thank You for the Absaloms who threaten to take what You give us; through them You prove no one can take what You give. Thank You for the Sauls - the jealous, angry, crazy people; through them You become our Hiding Place, our Strong Tower, our Sanity.  Thank You for the weak people who mean us no harm, but whose weakness leaves us hanging awkwardly with no support. Thank You for the demanding people who ask us for more than we can or should give; their demands help You teach us to say "no" with grace.  Thank You for using weak, frail, and fallible people to increase our faith in Infallible You.  Thank You that their roles in our lives can deepen our satisfaction in Your Everlasting Love and Faithfulness.  Help me remember that I've failed others in all these ways, sometimes without realizing it. I ask Your forgiveness for letting them down and pray You use my past failures as stepping stones of faith for the people I've failed. 

In the Name of Jesus Who prayed for those who put Him on the cross