Title: Whatever You Do / Colossians 3:16-17
I ask this question when I meet a close friend after a long time.
"How are you today?"
Most of the time, the answer is this.
"I'm doing well"
This is a courtesy greeting.
I don't want anyone asking, answering, or wanting to know more.
But look
No one thinks that "I'm doing well" doesn't mean there are no difficulties or problems to solve.
I have a problem, but I take it as a sign that I'm getting along just fine.
In a sense, people are stacked with things to bear or deal with.
It can be a big worry that fills your heart, or it can be a small problem you encounter in your daily life.
Nevertheless, people live as if there are no problems on the outside.
And if I am, I think others will too.
Whether the problems that surround us are large or small, when we only look at them, our minds are dominated by worry.
When we cling to problems, our hearts harden and we cannot afford to laugh.
watch tv soap opera
They have higher social status and social status than ordinary people, and they have greater economic wealth, but don't they fight on the street, shout loudly, be upset, displeased, angry, and conflict?
What's the lack of arguing like that?
It was not because they lacked anything, but because they looked only at their problems and stuck to their problems.
If we look at the problem alone, neither social status nor economic wealth will bring us peace.
This is the story that Pastor Chubu-gil told me.
He went to a meeting of people who work in the family, and a wife came to him and asked:
"Are you happy these days?"
So Pastor Chubu-gil answered, "Yes, I am very happy."
Then the wife turned to face and asked, "Really?"
Pastor Chu replied yes again.
Then the mother said something like this.
"I've asked a lot of people the same question over the years, but I've never seen anyone who said it so confidently like the director, but are you really happy?"
It's not that the world thinks "I'm not happy".
Even among Christians, there are many who think that their lives are "not happy."
Life isn't unhappy, but it's not all happy either.
If I am like that, I think others will too.
That's why I don't readily understand people who say "thank you for everything" or "I'm very happy".
Why are we not thankful and not happy?
Because you are only looking at unresolved problems.
So, does that mean you can be grateful and happy despite having problems?
That's right.
What is the secret to being grateful and happy despite our problems?
It is.
Our eyes are not set on the problem, but are on the Lord.
We have the Lord.
The Lord is in our lives.
All our problems are in the hands of the Lord.
Even if I hold on to the problem and grapple with it, I always have no choice but to push myself.
If you look to the Lord, you can step away from problems.
Let's look to the Lord.
The problem is solved by the Lord.
The Red Sea stood before the children of Israel who had managed to escape from Egypt.
The Egyptian army drives chariots and chases after the fleeing slaves, the children of Israel.
The children of Israel have nowhere to go.
At this time, Moses cried out to the children of Israel.
"Do not be afraid, look to God!"
Do not look at the Egyptian army, do not look at the Red Sea, but look to God.
Those who look to God are the weakest and most foolish people in the world, yet they have the greatest power.
Everyone!
The military power of the United States is strong. No country in the world can match the military power of the United States.
Japan's military power is also strong.
China's military power is also strong.
If these countries invade our country, will our military power be able to stop them from attacking?
It will probably be difficult.
There is no need to despair.
Because we have God.
Looking to God, there is no need to fear any enemy.
What we should fear is that we look at problems rather than looking at God.
The word "give thanks" appears a lot in the Bible.
However, it does not simply say thank you, but the object of thanks is specified in front of it.
Who is audited?
God.
You are the Lord.
It is to give thanks to Jehovah.
It is to thank the Lord.
It is to thank God.
All of our thanks is to God.
This means that when we look to God, we can be thankful for everything.
There are three types of audits.
There is possessive gratitude, there is philosophical gratitude, and there is theological appreciation.
What is proprietary audit?
It's about being grateful for what you've got.
Thank you for doing well in farming, thank you for being healthy, thank you for doing well, and thank you for passing the exam.
This is a condition to be grateful for, and it is to be grateful.
Therefore, it is a conditional appreciation and a relative appreciation.
When things don't go well, it's easy to get discouraged and complain.
This gratitude is temporary because it compares yesterday with today and me and others.
Philosophical gratitude is realizing the meaning and giving thanks.
There are people who testify like this when they go to seminary.
He wanted to make a lot of money by running a business and do God's work with that money.
However, every business he undertook has failed.
It has to go well, and I thought it would go well, but I ran into unexpected difficulties and went bankrupt.
At first, they blamed God and complained to God.
It was only after entering the seminary that he thanked God.
If he hadn't studied theology, he said that he would have done business and immerse himself in the corrupt culture of the world.
It is that God knew his arrogant temperament and led him to live a godly life.
Such appreciation is philosophical gratitude.
Before, I didn't know it was grace, but when I realized it was grace, I didn't know it was a blessing before, but when I realized it, it was a blessing.
Everyone!
Do you know that getting married early is thankful, and not getting married late is also grateful?
Is there anyone with a heart to regret that they got married wrong?
When you realize it, you will know that I am the best married person in the world.
Growing up in a difficult environment, even people who thought they were unhappy are the happiest people when they realize.
Even those who are old and alone will realize and confess that there is God's grace and God's mysterious will.
This is philosophical appreciation.
Theological thanksgiving is gratitude for being a sinner who did not know God and had no choice but to die in his sins, but God saved him by the blood of Christ on the cross.
This is called graceful gratitude or absolute gratitude.
I am already dead in trespasses and sins.
He was a man who had no choice but to go to hell.
But God saved us by grace and made us a child of God.
My life is a life I got as a bonus and a life I got free of charge.
What more could you ask for here? only thanks.
If you live your life with this graceful gratitude, you will be grateful for everything.
There is possessive gratitude, and philosophical gratitude is also important.
However, when we have theological gratitude, we can be thankful no matter what our circumstances.
When we have absolute gratitude, we can see God without looking at problems.
We are Christians.
A Christian is someone who knows how to give thanks on the highest level.
Some people don't know how to be grateful.
Some dwell on possessive gratitude.
Some have reached philosophical appreciation.
There are those who live by theological gratitude.
God wants us to give thanks graciously.
So even when we pray, He wants us to pray with thanksgiving.
When we praise God, He wants us to praise Him with thanksgiving.
When you donate, you want to give with thanks.
Whatever you do, you want to thank God.
Gratitude has tremendous benefits in our lives.
If we give thanks to God, when we read the Bible, we will not only understand the subtle meaning of the words, but also the taste will taste better than honey.
It feels sweeter.
Thanks to God, everyone you meet looks lovely.
Thanks to God, stress doesn't build up.
If you thank God, things will go well.
Everyone!
Have you ever felt like, "I knew it was going to happen to me" when something unfortunate happened?
When you think of good things, good things happen, and when you think of bad things, you end up with bad things.
See Unanswered Prayers
At that time, while you were praying, you must have been thinking negative thoughts, ?쏧t will be of no use to pray.??
Gratitude changes our lives.
Gratitude makes good things happen.
I want to serve God with thanksgiving every day and to be able to work with thanksgiving.