C
– PERFECTING THE HEART – 3
The former two lessons
have hopefully brought to mind several truths.
The thoughts in our heart are crucial to perfecting our heart. Our actions and our words come from the
thoughts in our heart. Our hearts can be
divided in many ways. Some of these ways
are sinful although some may divide our hearts because of the timing such as
friends taking us away from service and worship.
Now our concentration
will be on traits that can perfect our heart.
The first is thankfulness. Joy is
not present when thankfulness is absent.
David, the psalmist, was full of thankfulness even in times of stress. Psalm 100 is full of joy and
thanksgiving. Even though David speaks
of his enemies, he is still able to thank the Lord with all his heart. Ps.9:1,2
Our thanksgiving is in
our heart but we don’t keep it inside.
When we voice our thanksgiving, it becomes a testimony to those around
us. Our nation needs to be known as a
nation of God when we realize and voice our thanksgiving to Him. Ps.18:49 Our country has a day of thanksgiving
but how many observe it for that purpose rather than a day off work and to
gather as family (which is good). That
day can become a day of testimony to our family. We need to take every opportunity we can find.
When we view other
people of the world and even of our own county, God has blessed (favored) us
with so much. Do we say so, not only to
God but to those around us? Ps.105:1 As we accept Christ as our Savior in
obedience, we receive redemption. Again,
do we say so in thanksgiving? Ps.107:1,2
Our hearts should be full of thankfulness morning and night. Ps.92:1,2
Jesus sets an example
for us as we are provided with food. Matt.15:36
So many in the world do not begin to have the food that we
have. Do we tell God we are
thankful? What about in public? Are we embarrassed to bow our heads in
thankfulness when we eat? This is
noticed and becomes a testimony to others as well as a reminder.
Another example Jesus
set was as He instituted the Lord’s Supper.
Matt.26:27 This is not for whoever is praying
before Communion. This is what we do
throughout the service. We actual pray
with the person praying publicly and then continue with our own prayer of
thanksgiving and repentance as we think of the One who died for us. Have you ever attended a memorial service for
a loved one? Did you talk, whisper, text
during the service? How
disrespectful! The Lord’s Supper is
observed with the deepest respect for it is a memorial service for our
Lord. Communion has a deep purpose. 1
Cor.11:28 There are repercussions
if we do not sincerely do this as stated in 1 Cor.11:27. How thankful we
should be as we remember.
Paul also gave us an
example. He was remembering the faith
and love for the saints that was held by those in Ephesus. Eph.1:15 Paul gave thanks for the Christians
there in this respect as he prayed for them.
Many times thanksgiving comes in the form of a prayer, even if short,
because we are talking to God.
Not only do we need to
thank God for the material possessions that we enjoy in this life but we have
been given so many blessings in a spiritual way. Paul mentions two of them. 1
Cor.15:57 As Paul was writing about
life after death he gives thanks for the victory (over death) we have in Christ
Jesus. He continues with an important
admonition in 1 Cor.15:58.
Paul was a man full of
thankfulness. Several of his letters
begin with “I thank my God”. He overflows with thankfulness for God’s gift
of His Son. 2 Cor.9:15 This should be
in a heart that is being perfected—thankfulness for Jesus. Without Him, we would be nothing and without
hope.
We are admonished to be
thankful in everything. In Phil.4:6 we concentrate on Be anxious for nothing and let your requests be made known to God. In between these two statements is a very
important phrase—with thanksgiving. We’re anxious and we have requests for God
but we forget the thanksgiving part which is a necessity.
Eph.5:20
leaves
no exceptions for our thankfulness. Always giving thanks for all things. We can’t always understand in pain, sorrow,
or disaster as something for which to give thanks, but we know God is with us
today and will be with us tomorrow and on until we see Him so we can be very
thankful that we can lean on Him.
If we are perfecting
our heart, it is important to want to do God’s will. We find thankfulness in everything is
important to God. 1 Thess.5:18 God knows our
inner being and He knows what is best for us.
A thankful heart has more joy and contentment.
Without a thankful
heart a person can never be content or to put it another way: without
contentment, a person could never be thankful.
A person would not degrade his home, his job, his family if he is
thanking God for these things. And
remember, we are to always give thanks for everything. That does not mean we could not seek better
if we truly need it (not family-that is forever) but too often we complain
about this and complain about that and are never content. We should look around us and see many in so
much worse condition.
See what the Word of
God says about contentment. Paul had
gone through many circumstances: humble
means and prosperous, filled and hungry, having abundance and suffering
need. Yet in each of these circumstances
he had learned to be content. He could
do whatever he needed to do or be through the strength the Lord gave Him. Phil.4:11-13 Could we say the same? Or do we complain about everything? If we do, we can’t be a thankful person.
Paul wrote to young
Timothy with teaching about contentment.
1 Tim.6:6-8 He reminds Timothy that he came into the
world with nothing and will take nothing out.
Job says essentially the same. Job 1:21,22
We should be able to be content with basic necessities. If more is granted to us, be thankful. Godliness is a means of great gain but notice
that it is accompanied with contentment.
The writer of Hebrews
also tells us to be content with what we
have. Heb.13:5 So we end this
lesson with the question: Are we a
complainer and unthankful or are we perfecting our heart by being content and
thankful?
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