It’s Thanksgiving day and I was thinking about calling a relative or two to wish them a happy day. They rarely call me and, to be brutally honest here, I thought ‘why should I call them, they never call me’. Terrible isn’t it? But oh so terribly human.
The next thought that immediately came on it’s heels was, ‘don’t make it about them, make it about you and God’.
Boy, that set me straight! I answer to God for my thoughts, words and actions. It’s not about the others. Though it will bless them to receive a call wishing them a happy day, it’s about me, my own heart attitude, as unto God. Does that first thought please God? Nope. Will not calling them out of petty angst please God or give glory to His name? Nope.
I think when I have those selfish and petty thoughts, I should consider 1. will it please God and 2. just do the opposite Brenda!
If we would remember the One who gave up everything, all the glory and splendour of being in heaven with His Father for us, then perhaps we could more easily give up those petty bits of our lives to honour Him.
One of my favourite verses is 2 Peter 2:9 ‘the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptations’, even the temptation of giving in to selfish and self-pitying thoughts. And trust me, these pesky thoughts are pitiful and I need God’s help to rescue me when they come up.
But, thank God He didn’t leave me to flail about today, He even sent a counter and biblical thought to get me out of that tempting thought leading to displeasing behaviour.
Thank God for God. Today is full of thankfulness to the only God who gives unreservedly all we need to rescue us in our journey of sanctification.
Ordinary Me; Extraordinary God 