“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”     ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Are we really to give thanks in ALL circumstances?  Am I reading that correctly?  This verse has really hit me hard over the last few weeks.  I’m just gonna be straight up and say that ministry is tough.  People are difficult.  Everybody’s an expert and everybody’s a critic.  And it really can wear on you after awhile.  Because of this, I find myself in a funk every once in awhile, where I am constantly complaining and frustrated.  Lately, I have been in such a funk.  A few weeks ago I ran across this verse, which I have read hundreds of times,  and yet it really hit me harder than it ever has.  Am I living life with an attitude of thankfulness?  Needless to say, an attitude check was needed.

So, for what it’s worth, here are a couple of things that God is teaching me presently -

1. Gratitude is given: If I am truly grateful, my attitude should reflect it.  I need to approach, not only God with an attitude of thankfulness, but also others.  I have to quit assuming people know I am grateful for them.  Because people matter to God, if I am to lead them well, they will matter to me.  My attitude toward them should be a priority.
2. Gratitude begins, where my sense of entitlement ends:  Colossians 3:17 teaches us that “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  I often overlook the fact that God, in His mercy, has given me the privilege of serving Him and others.   I have noticed that not only I, but many who are serving Jesus in ministry, need to be reminded of this.  Even if not spoken, we sometimes feel entitled to our position, as if it is our gifts and abilities that sustain the blessing of God.  As leaders, we should walk in utmost humility.  We are servants of God and people.  We do not deserve to be here.  We are blessed just to have a relationship with Him and to be able to serve Him, but for whatever reason, our blessings seem to turn into burdens.  An example of this is, when we first bought our house, we were so grateful.  We would say things like, “look at where we get to live…look at the beautiful yard we have…look at the size of these rooms.”  Somewhere along the line our attitude changed, and we began to say things like, “I hate it, but I’ve got to mow the yard…I’ve got to paint the walls…I’ve got to clean these rooms.”  What used to be a blessing…sorry, what IS a blessing, we began to see as a burden.  Remember that God, in His mercy, has blessed us to be able to serve Him and those around us.
3. God desires an attitude of gratitude more than our sacrifice of service:  Psalm 69:30-31 says,“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.” It really is about our attitude.  Our attitude should drive our actions.  God does not desire for us to see our service to Him as a burden.  You ever notice how grateful people can seem to find and create blessing in almost any situation?  Conversely, negative people can find or create a burden in almost any situation.  You and I both dread dealing with people like that.  However, many of us are blind to the fact that WE are often that person.  We need to develop an attitude of thankfulness. Too often we complain about the very thing God has blessed us with.

My attitude is a reflection of God’s grace and mercy in my life.  My guess is that many of us need an attitude adjustment.  We need to learn to be thankful in all circumstances.

What are some ways that you can choose to be a reflection of God’s blessing this week and to be a blessing to those around you?

Ephesians 5:22-27
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

On more than one occasion I have heard it taught or said that while the Bible commands a man to “love his wife as Christ loved the church,” nowhere does it say that a wife is commanded to love her husband.  First of all, I feel sorry for those that actually think that. I mean what would even lead to such a school of thought?  However, I believe that if we take a closer look at the text, we will see that though it may not say it, it implies it in a big way.

It’s true that Scripture teaches husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and in order for us to understand what that looks like, we simply have to look at the life of Jesus; His example, His sacrifice, His humility and service, His protection and provision, and His loving pursuit of mankind.  On the flip-side, if we are going to understand what godly submission looks like within a marriage relationship, we have to look at the response of the church to the love of Christ.

How do you show your devotion to Jesus?  The easy answer is found in the words of Jesus himself.  When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus quickly replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Love is the chief characteristic of a follower of Jesus.  Jesus teaches that  “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  How could this not also be the chief characteristic of a godly marriage?

The picture that Scripture paints of godly submission in the context of a marriage relationship is a beautiful one.  It is one of unconditional, unrelenting love.  It is one of passionate pursuit, and deep devotion.  It is one of honor and respect.

Maybe Sinatra was on to something when he sang, “Love and marriage…they go together like a horse and carriage.  This I tell you brother, you can’t have one without the other.”

Jesus himself would certainly agree with that.