AN ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING

AN ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING

We've talked about this before, but it is a good reminder --
Thanksgiving is not just a holiday we celebrate in November.
Thanksgiving needs to be a part of the very fabric on our lives. Someone
said that for the believer it is not thanksgiving -- it's THANKSLIVING.

Charles Swindoll in his new daily devotional, GREAT DAYS WITH THE GREAT
LIVES-- DAILY INSIGHT FROM GREAT LIVES OF THE BIBLE,
shares that the Apostle Paul "had an attitude of genuine thanksgiving:
'Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of
thanksgiving, praying that at the same time for us as well, that God may
open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the
mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that
I might make it clear in the way I ought to speak' (Colossians 4:2-4).

Here's a man in his sixties who has been preaching for years asking for
prayers for a clearer delivery. There was no pretense with Paul. No
degree of success or number of years in the ministry gave him a false
sense of ultimate accomplishment. He knew he had not yet arrived. He was
convinced his preaching could be improved. And so with a genuinely
thankful heart, he entreated his fellow believers for their prayers. Can
you see the power of that kind of attitude? Very refreshing.

No wonder the man had such a lasting impact for Christ. His secret bled
through every one of his letters. He had learned to be content in all
things. But we can't leave the ink of these truths to simply sit and dry
on the page. We must embrace the same secret for ourselves if we are to
have the same lasting impact . . .

Let's turn the spotlight away from the many housed in Rome back then and
focus it on you and your life, wherever you find yourself right now. Are
you making a difference in the lives of those closest to you by the way
you respond to your circumstances? Are others inspired by your faith, or
are they discouraged by your fears? Are the attitudes of unselfish
humility, joyful acceptance, strong determination, and genuine
thanksgiving evident in the way you respond to circumstances? Maybe its
time to make some changes.

Start by refusing to let your situation determine your attitude. When
your attitude overshadows your situation, transformation really begins.
As we saw in Paul, the power to transform stubborn attitudes of fear and
bitterness, anger and defeat, comes from Christ. The Lord our God stands
ready to pour his strength in you. He alone has the power to deliver you
from those relentless foes and send you soaring. Keep an attitude of
thanksgiving." GREAT DAYS WITH THE GREAT LIVES -- DAILY INSIGHT FROM
GREAT LIVES OF THE BIBLE is available from the KESWICK ONLINE BOOKSTORE
-- www.americaskeswick.org.

Good words for you to apply to your heart today. One last call for
FREEDOM FIGHTER DAY CD'S . . . Mark P. Fisher shares three pratical
sessions on how you can live victoriously in your sexual life. 3 CD's
are yours at no cost. Simply respond to this email with your mailing
address.