THANKSGIVING DAY. Today, we are thankful. We all have plenty to be thankful for. We could each most likely go on for hours about all we have to be thankful for. But can we be thankful in ANY circumstance?
I Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks…
Every time we would visit him, my grandfather would give us girls each a quarter to walk down to the nearby 7/11 and buy ourselves a Slurpee, a box of candy, and a comic book. My grandmother would berate him with a mild “Now don’t spoil their supper, Walter!” My Grandpa Walt was the kindest, most patient man I have ever met and I haven’t found his equal yet. The true love of his life was his dear wife, my Grandma Edna.
In Love and Marriage: As Christ Loved the Church, we saw that God’s plan for marriage as expressed in Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands specifically in the marriage relationship to love their own wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
I have a favorite saying (although it’s one that I often forget, especially in the heat of battle), “Whoever loves first, wins.” Now before I go any further with this, let me explain the ground rules of this competition. First of all, every Christian believer is to “walk in love” toward one another in the same way that Christ loved all of us.
I’ve seen pictures of my dad as a boy that look exactly the way I did at that age. People tell me that they recognize my son from behind because he walks just like me.
Yes, children have the nature of their parents built in, and they also learn to act like them. It’s the same for us as God’s children. We have our heavenly Father’s loving nature inside, and we can learn to act lovingly like Him. You can be just like your Dad!
Since we have God’s love, there are so many ways we can give and serve. So where to begin? Romans 12 has a simple list that shows us how to carry out that logical service to our heavenly Father, Who has poured forth His love into our hearts. Love is at the foundation of our actions.
Have you read any books or manuals on marriage? Talked to a marriage counselor or family therapist? Watched TV shows like Divorce Court or Wife Swap? Asked family or friends for marriage advice? I have done all the above and more. And yes, I learned plenty. But most of it was fluffy self-improvement kind of stuff, sort of like trying to live on a diet of cake and ice cream with some chopped liver thrown in for nourishment. At one point, I decided to get serious and focus on God’s view of the subject in His Word and start eating right.
What If the Offender Refuses to Repent?