Los Alamos Church of Christ
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The story is told of two old friends who bumped into one another
on the street one day. One of them looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears.
His friend asked, "What in the
world happened to you?"
The sad friend said, "Let me tell you. Three weeks
ago, an uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars."
"Wow, That’s a lot of
money."
"But, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me
eighty-five thousand."
"Sounds like you’ve been blessed...."
"You don’t
understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a
million."
Now he was really confused. "Then, why do you look so glum?"
"This week… I got nothing!"
That is a little too close to my house to
be very funny. I know instead of
being thankful for all the blessings God has given me, I have I tend to whine
about the things that don't go the way I thought they should. I need to hear again Philippians
2:1-16.
Philippians 2:12-16
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have
always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--
continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it
is God who works in you to will and
to act according to his good
purpose. Do everything without
complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of
God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like
stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-- in order that I may
boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
Let's unpack these verses.
-God is working to do his will, not my will. It is not about me, it is about God's
purpose.
- So, quit whining.
Buck up, quit whining! I
think that is going to be my new third law. Buck up, quit whining. BUQW!
-"How in the world are you going to do that? We know you and that is going to be
really hard."
-So That…pure child of God - I want to shine like the stars in
contrast to the blackness of space.
-As I hold out the truth.
Do we want to be used by God to do his will and hold the out truth? Then BUQM.
-And, and… look forward to the day of Christ!
Instead of whining about what God has not done for me this week, I
am going to work out my salvation by Bucking Up Quit Whining. I think that will be my New Year's
resolution. Is it too early for
that? 2011 I am going to attempt to
shine like a star by not whining.
Back to our history lessons.
Look at this tremendous example of BUQW
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Listen now to another proclamation of Thanksgiving from Abraham
Lincoln during the Civil War, October 3, 1863.
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with
the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so
constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come,
others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot
fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to
the ever watchful providence of Almighty
God.
“In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity,
which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their
aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been
maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed
everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has
been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of
peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the
shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and
the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even
more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased,
notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the
battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented
strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large
increase of freedom.
“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out
these great things. They are the
gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our
sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that
they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one
heart and voice by the whole American
People.
I do therefore invite
my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at
sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the
last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our
beneficent Father who dwelleth in the
Heavens.
And I recommend to
them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular
deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national
perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have
become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in
which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the
Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may
be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony,
tranquility and Union.”
Can you imagine these words?
Abraham Lincoln certainly bucked up if anyone ever did and there is no
whining it this proclamation. Under
enormous pressure of the tragedy of the Civil War, was still grateful to God for
his tremendous blessings. That is who I want to
be.
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Despite
the fact that the church celebrates Thanksgiving every Sunday and that
thanksgiving to God should be a continuous attitude for Christians, I’m glad we
have the official Thanksgiving holiday. Let me challenge you on this weekend as
you finish up the leftovers, to stop for a moment and reflect upon the history
of a country that thanks God.
Reflect upon a country whose foundations are in God. Reflect upon the blessing that God has
given this country and that we have a national holiday that acknowledges that
God is the source of our blessings.
Be thankful for our nation.
As I Buck Up and Quit Whining I want
to:
- Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you want.
If you did, what would there be to
look forward to?
- Be thankful when you don’t know something, this gives you the
opportunity to learn.
- Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you find
out a lot about yourself.
- Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you
opportunities for improvement.
- Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build
strength and character.
- Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable
lessons.
- Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means ,
perhaps, you made a difference.
