Today, I want us to pause and reflect on all that God has done in our lives. If you’re here, I can almost bet that you’ve overcome an obstacle or two in your lifetime. I can also bet that you have a ton of blessings in your life right now that often times go unnoticed. After a week of digging deeper into the Word, let’s soak it all in and dive in a little more.
DAY 7 READING
My grandpa once said that God speaks to us in many ways during Advent. Perhaps not with angels, dreams, or prophets, like we saw with Mary, Joseph, or Ahaz, but he speaks to us through his Word and people. We have been called to listen, to reflect, and to act on those messages during this time. We have been called to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming in special ways.
Let’s look at one of the Sunday readings that was shared in the Catholic church today:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 4-9)
I have really been enjoying looking at these readings in the many different versions that the Bible is presented, and The Message breaks down those same lines very simply.
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Focus on the good, put your faith in God, and put all his teachings into practice. Easier said than done, but it’s pretty simple when you take a step back and look at what is asked of us. Because let me repeat:
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from Jesus, or seen in him—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
DAY 7 CHALLENGE
Today, instead of worrying, let’s give thanks to our Lord and pray about everything else, knowing that He is working everything out for our good. Since He is busy working in our favor, how can we work for Him? What blessings and gifts can we use to glorify Him? Perhaps God is calling you to do something different than what you might have expected, but He knows us, and we are called to trust Him and act on it. (Remember Joseph?)
Let us rid ourselves of doubt, worry, and anxieties by turning them into prayer. Focus on the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Let’s use our gifts and accept the job that we have been called to do and let’s turn that into our Christmas gift to the Lord. It will make all the difference in your life, and it most certainly will to others.
Be blessed, friend! Let the countdown to Christmas continue!
