New Connections

I was at the city prayer gathering today and Jeremiah Abel read out from Eph. 5:13-20. A couple of verses stood out to me as I listened and then read it over in my Bible:

15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

The passage in verse 18 is a long time favorite because it speaks of being continually filled with the Spirit. As I read on I was struck by v. 20 and the call to always be giving thanks to God, because just yesterday I felt the Lord speaking to me about the great need I have to grow in thankfulness. This morning as I read these verses I sensed God showing me that the two things are very much connected: Being filled with the Spirit and living a life of continual thankfulness.

I am very often a 'cup half empty' type of person. Translated more bluntly, I think that means I'm an unthankful person. I'm just not very good at it (there I go again!)

I usually have thought about being filled with the Spirit in different terms than being continually thankful. Yet the apostle Paul seems to mention the need for thankfulness over and over again (i.e. Col. 2:17 & 1 Thess. 5:18)

I realize that I have some real stereotypes in my head surrounding exhortations to thankfulness and that I need to purge myself of.

That will be quite a process, but for now I'll just say 'thanks' to God for showing me some new connections about being filled with the Spirit.