Hi Faith Family,
Praying you are well and happy today,
Do you recycle? We recycle. I took in some aluminum and newspaper today. As I was unloading bags of old Idaho Statesmans, the worker shouts out to me, “We take ‘em, but we can’t pay you for ‘em anymore!” Latest evidence of the downturn in the economy—even recycling isn’t worth what it once was.
The guy ahead of me at the recycling center was also surprised at the loose change (literally) he received from his recycling. But as he left, he said something that caught my attention: “That’s O.K. I actually prefer less in general.” I thought his comment was curious. In a way, this fellow-recycler was advocating a life of less, and an appreciation for what we are given . . . even if it’s less.
Can you join in this attitude? I don’t know if the Apostle Paul was a recycler, but he certainly had an attitude of appreciation, no matter what the circumstance. He was inspired to share these words with us:
“I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
How sad when our thanksgiving runs shallow or hollow. How disappointing when we pray from want to want, without pausing to offer thanksgiving for blessings. How awful is this sinfulness in which we were born and with which we will struggle until blood flows no more.
Thanks, once again, be to God! He has given us the victory through Jesus! Forgiveness and eternal life are yours because of Jesus. He has given us the secret to contented living, too. “Give thanks in all circumstances,” he teaches us, even in tough economic times.
Your turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving may be gone, but why not adopt a lifestyle of thanksgiving! God empowers you with that secret of contentment: You can do everything through the One who gives you strength! Happy (lifestyle of) Thanksgiving!