Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Rejoice in everything
 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians is known as the letter of joy written by the Apostle Paul while he was under house arrest. When one reads through Philippians, we can’t help but be immersed in the joy of Paul, as he exhorts Christians to live dynamic and bold lives. The passage above is so integral to Christian living with the concepts of (a) rejoicing, (b) gentleness and moderation, and (c) prayer, petition and thanksgiving.
If we can all take a moment to close our eyes, and perform a quick exercise; how many times this week have we used the word “stress” or “worry”? It seems like the longer we spend outside of the presence of the Lord, the more these words become commonplace in our lives. We live in a constant state of anxiety and we spend our days numb with worry. How precious are Paul’s words for us now! He exhorts us to be joyful, and in everything turn to the Lord with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Remember that Paul tells us to turn to God in everything, because our Lord is the God of our lives, not just limited to our “religious” life. How can we accomplish this? The Apostle says, we must elevate our thoughts to the things that are excellent and praiseworthy. To quote Paul’s letter to the Philippians, “whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Often we spend our time focused on unproductive anxiety that paralyzes us, rather than elevating our sight to greater things; to what is right, noble, and pure.

Paul doesn’t stop there. He continues by adding, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” It doesn’t end at elevating our thoughts; when we focus on the right perspective, it also should lead to an elevation of our behavior. A model Christian is one who constantly rejoices in the Lord, one who constantly gives thanks, and one who’s thoughts and behavior are always focused on things above. It is worthwhile to remember that none of us are model Christians. Brothers and sisters, we are all lacking, but yet Jesus has chosen us like he chose his 12 disciples with all of their flaws and character defects.

Today let us take the bold decision to break free from the chains of anxiety and worry and be surrounded by the peace of the Father. Let us kneel in earnest prayer, and pray the following prayer:

Prayer: Father, we thank you and we praise you. We are so grateful for the many blessings that you have showered upon us. Help us to remember today that we are your children; we are your chosen. Elevate our thoughts and behaviors to what is excellent and praiseworthy, pure and noble. Let us look to your faithful servants and apostles as shining examples of your light, and use our own lives to help elevate the thoughts and behaviors of others. Amen.

Thought for the Day: A model Christian is one who constantly rejoices in the Lord.
 
Charles Abraham, St. John's MTC, NY

 

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more