The Thanksgiving Season is upon us, and many are already planning family feasts and festivities. Some are already shopping for Christmas gifts and are planning to tackle Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving Day! Some are even experiencing "Holiday Anxieties" and mood changes associated with the worldly expectations and the hustle and bustle of what a "Merry Christmas" should be.
STOP!!!
Take a deep breath, and then exhale. Relax and be comforted by the presence of God. Before we proceed, we must pause to truly give thanks to our Father in Heaven for all He has done. The Word of God gives us a clear road map of how to proceed down our road and to peacefully arrive at our destination of happiness in our Thanksgiving and merriment in Christmas! Glory to God!
PHILIPIANS 4: 4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
We're going to approach Thanksgiving with moderation and discipline as our guide and measuring rod of God's gift of peace to us. Let's begin to ask God how to maintain peace and joy throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas Seasons. When we feel our peace or joy wavering, let's quickly pray (COMMUNICATE WITH FATHER) and humbly repent for losing focus. Then we'll ask Our Father in Heaven about how to quickly get our hearts back into the right place in Him.
God Sent Jesus to bring peace on Earth. Glory to God! It is a trick of the devil, to try to steal that very joy during Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is the only time of the year, when Believers have the undivided attention of Non-Believers. How can we be effective in our witness, if we don't maintain our peace and joy. If our minds are focused on loading up on material possessions, how do we establish our "giving hearts?" Selah. Remember to shine for Jesus not the market place.
Have a Glorious Thanksgiving!!