07/28/08

Hey everybody,

Have you ever thought about all the ways that we communicate? Like how we communicate with each other? For instance, I have a look, it is called by my children, “The Look” and evidently, “The Look” puts fear into the hearts of my children. I don’t know how exactly I do “The Look”, but I can tell you when I give “The Look” it can bring Kayla to tears without anything but, “The Look”.

Or sometimes Beverly can act a certain way and I know something is wrong. Like if she is really quite and disengaged, I know to keep my mouth shut, I have done something wrong! Or when she feels bad she is just kind of down and wants to lie around. She doesn’t have to say anything I just know.

But then there is the mother of all communication, talk. I can talk the paint off the walls. Sometimes Beverly and I will stay up late talking, we will get up in the morning talking, and at times we talk on the phone for a while. But there is nothing like a good conversation to enjoy someone’s company. We have friends over quite often or we go to folks houses and we talk we communicate with each other so that we can get to know one another better.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says. . .

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

So Paul is talking about a way that we are to live, but more importantly He is talking about a way we communicate with God. Look at this with me. . .

1.                          A joyful life communicates peace in God. So many Christians want to walk around with a hum drum look on their face as if that makes them more spiritual. We are to love our lives as Christians, and when we are joyful about our lives we are communicating to God the second part. . .

2.                          Being thankful. How much does everyone of us take advantage of Christ Jesus? Really think about it. . . the air your breath, the food you eat, the car you drive, the house you live in, the kids you have, the clothes you wear, I could go on and on! They all come from Jesus! So how many times a day do we stop and thank Him? Once? Twice? Only when we eat? Listen we should be thankful for all circumstances because the Bible teaches that it is in all circumstances that Jesus is working. And if Jesus is working in our lives no matter the circumstances we should be thankful. Thankful in brokenness, thankful in sickness, thankful in times of plenty, and thankful in times of want! Thankful and show our thanks by the joy that flows from our lives.

3.                          This brings me to my last point. . . this is praying continually! Our life should be a prayer. Show God how you love Him by your joy, show God how you love Him by Your thankfulness, and if you do these things you will realize that He becomes more evident in every day life. When we think of prayer we tend to think of fancy words and folded hands, but prayer is a way of life. Yes you should get alone every day and talk to God, but that is not the end of it. We should also live a life that speaks to God and honors His name.

One of the things that I have committed myself to work on in my prayer life is my mouth. It tends to be foul at times and that does not bring joy or thankfulness to God. What is it in your life that you can remove to bring joy and thankfulness to God? Find out what that is, and then pray continually!

I love you guys, I hope you have a great week.

Pastor Jason Lyle 
The Open Range Church of Henry County 
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.