Sunday morning retuning: As we tuned our thankful hearts for a week when we who are supposed to be thankful really turn it on, we were challenged to not take God’s grace for granted. We have to make sense out of suffering, and this is not always as easy thing to do. You can find some resources for the journey here, including sermon-based questions to dig deeper.
If you're like me, and in some ways I figure you are, you have been thinking about being thankful. As I reflected on the reading we shared Sunday I found some good encouragement. The video we watched Sunday in our services served to provoke some thankfulness I was not anticipating.
The first thing that struck me about the video was the simple reminder that our thankfulness has an object, God. We are not just thankful aimlessly. Our thanksgiving is directed to the Source of all for which we are thankful. We are indeed giving thanks to someone, and that someone is God Himself.
Then as I watched it I was struck by the powerful reminder that I should not only be thankful for the “good” things, but the “not-so-good” things as well. Sure, I can give thanks for my lovely wife Sarah, my handsome boys Samuel, Isaac, Josiah and Aiden, health, friends, and so much more. But am I equally willing to give thanks for the struggles and the trials, the heartache and the pain, all which God wants to use to point me back to? After all that is what we read in I Thessalonians 5:18 where it says to give thanks in all circumstances.
I really like words so I appreciated the way the video used them so carefully to cultivate a thankful heart. There was one phrase in particular that really caught my attention. Around 1:28-32 into the video they use the word baring in the phrases, “the baring of our weakness/shame”. I thought it was a typo and should have been bearing, but am glad I read the comment to the side where they explained the usage. And I quote, “the script says, "...the pain and joy of Your revealing light, the baring of our weakness..." We definitely meant "baring" as in exposing or revealing, not "bearing" as in carrying.“ I had never heard that word before to my knowledge and I love it!
I mean, I do not necessarily like my weakness and shame revealed to me, and certainly do not like it when it is revealed to others, but I am thankful for the reality that my gracious God allows those moments to cultivate humility in me, as long as I am willing to go there with Him. And I do want to go there, because I want to be more like Jesus, though I know that process will be painful. Have mercy on me Lord, especially when you do this revealing/baring work in my life.
And help me to be thankful we it comes, believing You have a higher purpose than the revealing. You want to draw me to Yourself. I know this is true, so once again, I am thankful.
Jesus help me to be thankful for all the work You do in me. The encouraging through a million acts of mercy, and the discipling through Your baring acts of grace. When I am exposed, make me thankful.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy
No comments:
Post a Comment