“I thank my God every time I remember you.”
Philippians 1:3
The holiday season is perhaps the time we are most vulnerable to adopting a “martyr mindset.” All this cooking, baking, cleaning … on to the shopping, wrapping, and giving … add in the hosting, mailing, and delivering … and we can easily allow frustration to eclipse joy, and stress to replace worship.
Before we jump to any of our “ings,” let’s challenge one another to keep the main thing, the main thing.
Every chore, event, obligation, and meeting can be leveraged to offer prayers of thankfulness: I have a home to clean. I have people to love on. I have a family, a community, and a place in this world. Most of all, I have a God who sees and knows.
If you are writing the Word with us this month, perhaps you have noted how many times Paul begins his letters by thanking the people to whom he ministered:
“I always than my God for you…” — I Corinthians 1:4
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” — Philippians 1:3
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” — Colossians 1:3
“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
— I Thessalonians 1:2
Of course, there are many others, as well. But the take-away (for me) is that the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica should have been grateful for Paul. They should have been writing these words to him! He was investing in them, sharing the gospel with them, and teaching them how to live the Christian life. He visited them, re-visited them, and wrote them letters.
But Paul didn’t pour into them and then hold out his cup expecting them to fill it up. He was filled up by God. Their gratitude (or lack thereof) didn’t change what he was doing, or his motivation for doing it. Paul served God as he served the churches. And he counted it a joy and a privilege. Look at what he wrote to Timothy, his young son in the faith:
“I thank Christ Jesus our LORD, who has given me strength that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” — I Timothy 1:12“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” — II Timothy 1:3
If you and I find ourselves feeling unappreciated, depleted, dejected, or burnt out … is it possible we are looking to have our egos stroked by others? Are we serving with an expectation to be made much of? Perhaps we are looking for gratitude from others, instead of making time to thank God for the privilege of: -
· Teaching and training our children
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· Serving as a Sunday School teacher or AWANA leader
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· Hosting community group
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· Being chosen to mentor another woman
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· Being sought out by a younger woman for advice and counsel
Ultimately, we serve where we serve because GOD considered us trustworthy! He has called us! He chooses to use us!
Each area where we serve, each person we get to invest in, each act of service, is a high and holy privilege! The call on our lives comes from Him. We are empowered by Him. He honors us by calling us.
When that martyr mindset creeps in, check your “cup.” Are you holding it out horizontally, expecting others to fill it? Or are you holding it up to Jesus, praising Him that He fills it, it overflows, and it keeps on flowing from you and to others?
Gratitude is the antidote for martyrdom, Sister Friend! Let’s praise and worship God with a heart of thankfulness through all our “ING-ing” this season!
It’s not too late to embrace gratitude!
Join us for the final week of November
as we read and write verses about GIVING THANKS,
in this month’s Write The Word series.
Watch for the December Write The Word, coming NEXT SUNDAY!
