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Posts Tagged ‘thankful’

Key Element for Thriving Relationships-Express Gratitude

October 10th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is to Express Gratitude.

Saying “Thank you” to someone expresses gratitude and shows our appreciation for someone’s influence in our lives.

It is interesting to note how Paul the Apostle expresses thanks.

He said in Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel.”

He told Philemon in verse 4, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.”

There is a pattern by which Paul expresses thanks to God for particular churches or individuals. And then he specifically identifies the reason for his gratefulness.

Expressing gratitude is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Lesson Of Faith-Chasing Away The Grumbles with Gratitude

November 21st, 2013 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Philippians 2:14 gives us a direct word of instruction that will affect our relationships and our witness for God if we heed the message.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Persistent complaining or an argumentative spirit saps the energy from relationships. The Israelites in Moses’ day were known for complaining about their plight on the way to the Promised Land, and they got nowhere fast. Complaints focus on the problem, without seeking a solution or without turning to prayer. A thankful person will recognize problems, but can also see opportunities through life’s challenges.

Paul, the writer of Philippians, knew that complaining or arguing undermined the strength of the church’s witness for Jesus. And so, he proceeds to explain why we should do everything without complaining or arguing-“So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life.”

With gratitude to God, we can chase away a complaining or arguing spirit, and shine the light of the Gospel to this generation.

The credible witness of a thankful person is a lesson of faith worth remembering.