By: Christopher Wiles
"Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' He said." - Mark 10:21a
If Jesus looked at my life, I don't think He would say "One thing you lack." I think would exclaim (imagine a loving southern drawl here), "Here's a whole boatload of stuff we've got to work on boy!" As He reveals my weaknesses to me, I try to work on ways to repent and then glorify Him.
Recently, I found myself beginning to complain about the cold when I felt the Spirit tapping my conscience on the shoulder saying, "This is one thing you lack." I was then reminded of Paul's words to the church at Thessalonica, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thess 5:16-18
I'm thinking about that "for this is God's will for you" part. Is my complaining about the consistent cold part of God's will for me? It seems to be a far cry from "rejoice always" and "give thanks in all circumstances" that Paul instructs.
I determined to work on a way to actively rejoice in the cold, appreciate it, and give thanks for it. Truth be told, my wife thought I was a little crazy with my idea. She even registered her "formal complaint" before she saw me go ice skating across the pond at Eastside Park while in a 20 degree snow fall.
Ice Skating Outside! |
ICE SKATING OUTSIDE! (This was a new first for me. Here's the video evidence: https://instagram.com/p/zmMBI_Pw11 .)
Then I thanked God not just for the three weeks of cold weather that made the thick ice, but I thanked Him too for not horribly embarrassing me with a trip/fall and polar plunge combination. It may be a small thing to everyone else, turning my griping to rejoicing, but I consider it a significant victory in the battle against all my many "one things."
It's such a great reminder that it is worthy of repeating. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18