Ephesians 5:1-4 says this…
Watch what God does
And then you do it.
Like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.
Mostly what God does is
Love you.
Keep company with Him, and learn a life of love.
Observe how Christ loved us.
His love was not cautious
But extravagant.
He didn’t love in order to get something from us
But to give everything of Himself to us.
Love like that.
Don’t allow love to turn into lust,
Setting off a downhill slide into
sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed.
Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip,
Christians have better uses for language than that.
Don’t talk dirty or silly.
That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style.
Thanksgiving is our dialect.

(The Message Remix, emphasis added by me)

This passage of scripture was our focus at the Spring Lakes prayer meeting November 21st and it has stuck with me for the past week just like all of the calories I consumed that week. When I read it I get two main things from it. The first is that it is a passage filled with actions for us to participate in; watch, do it, learn, love, keep company, observe. The second is that there is a list of things we are to avoid; don’t withhold love, don’t love in order to get, lust, sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, bullying greed, gossip and dirty silly talk should all be left out of our life style.

These four little verses hold quite a punch. As I searched this passage I think it is the last line that is key in helping us to accomplish the rest. When we allow ourselves to live lives of thanksgiving, we can by Gods grace accomplish the rest of what He is calling us to in these verses.

If we are truly thankful for the life that we have, the things we possess, the place that we are, then we will be able to love extravagantly, as Christ loved us. If we are thankful for who we are, then there is no need for comparison and thus a lack of jealousy. If we are confident and thankful for the life that God has blessed us with then there is no need to complain, and put others down in order to build ourselves up. When we allow ourselves to be satisfied with that which we have, then we will not need to lust after that which we do not possess.

So I invite you to join me in continuing in the spirit of Thanksgiving throughout this Christmas season. As we live lives of thankfulness may our words, thoughts and actions reflect the love of God who sent His one and only son to us as the ultimate expression of love to us, expecting nothing in return. May we surprise Him with our act of worship as we live lives out of a thankful heart for all He has blessed us with.