I was listing to a podcast by Steven Furtick with his sons about dating and something he said really made me think. He said, "The way that we do dating in America doesn’t prepare us for marriage. It prepares us for divorce. You try, you don’t like it, you move on. You try, you don’t like it, you move on." I have to say that I agree with him. We've grown up in the Disney age, where everyone gets their handsome prince and their happily ever after. But real life isn't like that. Sometimes relationships are hard and require work. It's impossible for any relationship between two imperfect people to be perfect.
It made me think of an article I read in the paper about a month ago by Brittany Bown who suggested that we should be ok with a good enough partner rather than always expecting our partner to be perfect. She said that we need to acknowledge that 'we can all be kind of intolerable at times.' We shouldn't date with the aim of finding the perfect person, because they don't exist. Rather, We should aim to find someone who shares our faith, core beliefs and values. Someone who is respectful to us and our family. Someone we enjoy spending time with and who we are prepared to work through the hard stuff with. Source: https://youtu.be/LDrEMxmfzc8?si=uAtiOQIosTJV_OHL Sunday Times Magazine, 17/03/2024 p25. Ephesians 5:20 says, Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. It doesn't matter whether life is all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns, or whether it is doom and gloom and darkness - there are always things that you can give thanks to God for. You can give thanks that you have eternal life with him, that his Holy Spirit lives in you, for friends and family, for the Bible...
Some ideas to help foster an attitude of gratitude:
Ephesians 5:19 says, Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Paul is contrasting drunkenness with being filled by the Spirit. People who are drunk say all kinds of foolish and inappropriate things. In contrast, praise and worship is what should come from people who are filled with the Spirit.
I believe Paul is talking about communal worship here. We should encourage each other to praise and worship God. It should come from your heart, not just your mouth. Have you been singing in church and realised that your mind was elsewhere (like what you're going to eat for lunch, who else is here, what people are wearing, etc.). If your mind wanders, just bring it back to the lyrics and focus on God, praising him and thanking him for his goodness. Praise and worship is an important part of your Christian life. I have found praise and worship helps lift me out of feelings of being depressed, overwhelmed, angry or sad. It has helped refocus my attention on God, when the world has become too loud and distracting. It has given me peace in the middle of my storms. When can you praise and worship God this week? Either communally at church or small group, or on your own? |
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