Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Ephesians 5:20: “…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Please take a few minutes to read Ephesians 5:17-21.
Dear friends, to my chagrin, I am not always thankful. There are moments when I do not follow Paul’s guidance from this passage. During times of personal disappointment, financial uncertainty, and distress over world events, I sometimes fail to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and to express an attitude of thankfulness. Instead, I allow my flesh to influence my heart and mind. Rather than being thankful for God’s blessings, I become resentful and upset about the success of those outside the Body of Christ, choosing frustration over thankfulness.
When I recognize that I’m living according to my flesh instead of the Spirit, I don’t try to fix it on my own. I confess my sins to God and accept the forgiveness I have through faith in the gospel of grace. I rely on the Holy Spirit to remind me of God’s call and purpose for my life.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us be honest with one another. We often complain about poor government, ineffective church leaders, and economic uncertainty. However, we should not allow these attitudes to dominate our thoughts, nor should we wallow in disgust over our failures.
When we find ourselves grumbling about life, let’s confess our sins, renew our trust in the grace of the gospel, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Through faith in this grace, we are secure in Christ. Paul reminds us in chapter one that God the Father called us, Jesus died and rose for us, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Let us embrace the truth of today’s verse and cultivate a spirit of gratitude. Let us choose gratitude over grumbling. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eph 5:20.