It's that time of year again. A time to intentionally stop, take a moment and give credit where credit is due. To acknowledge that without a benevolent God in heaven seeing, knowing, intervening, holding the universe in His hand, we simply would not be. The giving of Thanks, a verbal confession of our dependence, a recognition that who we are, what we have is all a gift. and the Maker of all the ends of the earth, the Lord of hosts, is the great Giver.
In a world where complaining is first nature, and often what we see and proclaim is our lack - internal and external. Many of us are quick to see our faults, where we don't measure up to our own standards or someone else's. We're quick to see what we need or want and the measure of that always seems greater than what we already have, more pressing, clouding all that is with what we want it to be. It leaves a restlessness in the soul, unsettledness that leads to anxiety. Everything does not seem all right in our world when our eyes are set on what is not rather than what is. So, what's the solution? Certainly, we all have room for personal growth and the refrigerator and pantry never seem to stay full by themselves, and Newton's law of degeneration is always at work. We do have real needs and good dreams and desires. Are we stuck? Never arriving at a place of peace and settledness? It seems to always come back to vision, perspective - a continuous refocus on the Giver of all good things who knows that we need all these things and has promised to finish His beautiful work in us cause He doesn't start something and not finish it!
I was listening to a sermon yesterday and these three words have held my attention, given me cause to ponder deeply - "above ALL ELSE". If there's something more important than anything else I can do, that is the business I should be about, but what is so singularly important? Guarding the heart. Not being overrun by our feelings or easily influenced by the things surrounding. Why guard it? Without intention, without constant vigilance, we could easily live out of our feelings and have our feelings influenced by every passing wind or word. And everything we do - every word, every decision flows from this one thing. What does it mean to guard the heart? To not let every little external thing make waves, to dwell on, ruminate and continually revisit our lack, brokenness, or displeasure. To guard the heart means to be intentional with every little thing that comes in our out and to continually refocus it on what is true, lovely, of good report - to set our heart in an attitude of giving thanks for then out of us will flow joy, gratitude, and peace. Guarding what comes in and goes out that life might be the outflow, the gift that you give to those around you.
- Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
- Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!
- All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven—
The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore
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