attitude of gratitude

i was looking back at one of Chris's (cwhitler.blogspot.com) blogs "Faith=risk" and it reminded me of this thing i wrote out 10 or so months ago that josh and i were planning on putting in a 'zine that we never got around to writing. i hope u like it!

"walk in the light, as he is in the light"

drugs were a problem as long as i didnt think they were a problem. life gets out of control as long as i think i have it under control. i'm a slave to sin as long as i'm in denial about my sin and i'll never grow through it until i give it to Christ and to my brothers.

"Pray and give thanks in all things...for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus."

God is a pretty funny guy. what seems so backwards to fallen/natural man is the greatest blessing and tool for our relationship with Christ. so being thankful in all circumstances is what God really wants for me as i walk with my Brother and God, Christ. that means God wants me to actually thank him, give him glory and praise, for all the frustrating, annoying, hard and scary times and not just the "isnt life great, look at all i have and have done" moments of joy and reflection. but why does he want that for/from me? how does that help mend our broken relationship with God?

first of all, the mere act of thanking God for feelings of, let's say, frustration/impatience, for example, allows us to accept the fact that we are pissed off or annoyed and don't have Christ's peace. "God, thank you that i feel really agitated right now because my boss won't get off my back." easy enough.

the second thing it does is shows us where our flesh still has control of our lives and hearts, ie, what and where we arent allowing Christ to reign. "Thank you that feeling agitated means i havent learned Christ's patience."

now we are accepting the fact that our feelings arent bad, they are a tool for growth. God's Truth becomes more and more evident to us, thereby it will be more apparent through us as we live our lives of love and point back to Christ.

this is the part where it all comes together and that gratitude will start to feel real. this is the part of growth. this is what Christ is anxiously fidgiting in his seat (at the right hand of the Father) waiting for us to find -- realizing Christ's sovereignty, direction and love in our lives. "And thank you, Lord, that by showing me how i'm not like you, it means that that's where you are going to do some growing in me!"

now it's all back on Christ's shoulders. we just have to walk the Way. the next time we find our selves in a frustrating situation, instead of resorting to our old man, we realize that it is Christ pruning us, molding and shaping us, into his glory. tough times kinda' lose their edge when we see that it's God lovingly teaching us to be like God.

another tool God lovingly gives us, and another example of the way life is truly meant to be lived, is open relationship and community with our Christian brothers and sisters. when we become Christians, when the Spirit of God and Life is born within us, we become new people in a new family. and family is meant to be close (regardless of the way our society has made it appear). "Hey guys, recently Christ has really been showing me how easily annoyed and pissed off i get at people, especially my boss." now, i know my family isnt going to judge me or condemn me because they know what it's like to be human growing to be like God, also. so it allows me to be real and get things off my chest. it also gives me people who i can count on to pray for me, encourage me when things start getting really hard to handle (growing isnt always easy, even when Christ is doing it!) and if i slip up and cuss out my boss (at least mentally, if not physically) i dont have to let my failures eat at me in secret. i can walk in the Light and be free to be me in Christ as i grow to be more like him.

this is where i give a quick shout out to all my family (physical and spiritual) who has been Christ and community to me in prayer, accountability, a mentor, an ear and a friend! life (especially these last 5 months) would have been impossible without every last one of you. thank you, and thank God for you.

let's top it off with one more praise then we'll tie it all together. "Thank you, Brother, that you care enough about me to reveal your life to me, how my flesh doesnt measure up and that you are the only Way to experiencing true Life. Thank you that you want me to have true life with you. thank you that you care for someone who needs as much work as i do."

so basically, God is worthy of our praise because he wants us to live the life we were meant to live, in his image, in his glory and in his love. he gives us the Spirit of Truth and his Word to reveal it to us, shows us the Way to walk it out and grow and gives us the desire for true Life so we will. and he gives us our Christian brothers and sisters so we have physical people to talk to and love on. all praise and glory be to God our Father in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ahh-yeah!