Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 vv. 4-7
It is a great thing to give thanks before we ask or receive. This is a huge challenge for some. Not because the process is forgotten, but simply out of great urgent need, being thankful prior to receiving can be missed. In reflecting on the shared sentiment of living in thankfulness, the central aspect of my being continues to say, you must never forget to thank God for all things.
To thank God, for the many experiences I am provided—whether they are pleasant or not. For smiles, for times of grumpiness, and for moments to learn from every experience. To know and embrace hostility as being part of this life, but to understand that it is something I must discard of as soon as it appears. My prayers consist of this.
As I grapple with the preciousness of my heart, I know this heart of mine loves hard, but can easily foster actions of swift disappearance from what hurts. Or it can slowly decipher hurt, make excuses for why others hurt, and for why I hurt. All this while not necessarily coming to right conclusion. But then there’s thankfulness. This thankfulness I must readily give to God at all times. At every moment. His coming influx of breath each morning displaying grace and tenderness, is my road toward appreciation. It is the acknowledgment of His great love for me, which brings me great joy. The joy I express before the sun rises each morning. That joyful thankfulness!
In the verse above, the Apostle Paul began with Rejoice. Rejoicing God is something we must always do despite everyday circumstances. In times of worry, struggles, and hardship, we rejoice. The Greek word for rejoice is chairó, meaning to be glad. From the Strongs Concordance 5483, Xaírō (from the root xar-, means “favorably disposed, leaning towards” and cognate with 5485 /xáris, “grace”) – properly, to delight in God’s grace (“rejoice”) – literally, to experience God’s grace (favor), be conscious (glad) for His grace.
Therefore, when we rejoice, we must understand that rejoicing in favorable circumstances is not enough, but instead our rejoicing must only be in the Lord. Our thankfulness should only be in Him. For it is in Him that all things are possible (Matt. 19 v. 26).
Pivotal points on the comfort thankfulness bring, comes through prayer. In prayer we are in ultimate communion with God. Praying without thankfulness creates anxiety. We see the word anxiety in Paul’s instructions. However, when we offer gratitude to God in prayerful moments, in most cases, we find peace.
Let’s remember to thank God at every moment of each day. Because in all things we see and recognize His continuous goodness.
Happiest of Thanksgiving to you!
Char
Sources:
Strongs Information retrieved from https://biblehub.com/greek/5463.htm
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved
Thankfulness before asking of God our perceived needs and wants is a genius idea! I want to be in surrender, & I know God is both beyond and throughout my denial/striving.
So I end with Thy will be done. I can’t go wrong, can I Char?
Hi Susan,
I am so glad this reflection was edifying for you!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Charlotte