Thanks Living: Instead Choose the BEST

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Ephesians 5:2-4

Walk: to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself

Love: which centers in moral preference, typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers)

Sweet-smelling aroma: fragrance, perfume

Fornication: from the Greek "porneuo"; harlotry (including adultery and incest)

Uncleanness: impurity (the quality), physically or morally

Covetousness: greedy desire to have more

Not even: not once, so much as

Be named: of things which are called by their own name because they are present or exist

Fitting: to be suitable or proper

Filthiness: dishonor, shamefulness, obscenity

Foolish talking: silly talk, buffoonery

Course jesting: grossly or obscenely abusive, vulgar or indecent in speech, abusive

Not fitting: unbecoming, discreditable

But: a strong adversative conjunction – but instead

Rather: comparative adverb so it refers to what is better as compared to what is merely "good." This involves prioritizing or ranking to elevate the better over the good, i.e. the higher priority (the more important)

Giving of thanks: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Nicknames are often given based on what we do, or some characteristic we have. What name is associated with you? Is it proper and suitable—for a Christian to have? Does the nickname represent Christ in a good way? 

Ephesians 5:3, 4 give a list of areas to avoid for they are discreditable in view of Christianity. Partaking in those things tarnishes your reputation and creates a pungent odor to God. 

BUT rather—Don't even begin to think about those pungent things, instead choose the BEST! And what is that BETTER thing to choose? Actively giving thanks to God! When we are actively involved in Thanks Living, our desire will be to choose the BEST! 

Thanks Living: Remember

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. Psalm 30:4

Sing praise: to celebrate in song and music -- give praise, sing forth praises, psalms

Saints: godly man, good, merciful

Give thanks: literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, especially to revere or worship (with extended hands—the open one—indicating power, means, direction, etc.)

Remembrance: to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. To remember; by implication, to mention; memorial, memory, scent

Holy Name (His holiness): sacred, apartness, sacredness

Remembrance. Memory. Scent.

"A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people's moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it's sometimes called the "emotional brain," smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously." (http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/smell3.htm) 

So often when we think of "thanks" we think of things received. Yet, Psalm 30:4 reminds us that we are to give thanks at the "remembrance of His holy name". Just remembering Who God is—should set into action are gratitude. A scent can call up memories and powerful responses—that is how we should respond to remembering Who God is! 

Celebrate Thanks Living by remembering God's holiness! That's a great way to begin 2016! As we begin the new year, take time to REMEMBER God's Holy Name! 

A Lingering Stench

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 11. Here is what I learned.

For the Lord is [rigidly] righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face, or He beholds the upright. Psalm 11:7 (AMP)

God’s business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. Psalm 11:7 (MSG)

That God may give grace without glory is intelligible; but to admit a man to communion with him in glory without grace, is not intelligible. It is not agreeable to God's holiness to make any inhabitant of heaven, and converse freely with him in a way of intimate love, without such a qualification of grace: "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright; he looks upon him with a smiling eye, and therefore he cannot favourably look upon an unrighteous person; so that this necessity is not founded only in the command of God that we should be renewed, but in the very nature of the thing, because God, in regard of his holiness, cannot converse with an impure creature. God must change his nature, or the sinner's nature must be changed. There can be no friendly communion between two of different natures without the change of one of them into the likeness of the other. Wolves and sheep, darkness and light, can never agree. God cannot love a sinner as a sinner, because he hates impurity by a necessity of nature as well as a choice of will. It is as impossible for him to love it as to cease to be holy. Stephen Charnock

I was watching the skunks play outside last night. They are cute little things. Scampering around playing tag with each other. They made me laugh. However a short time later, my apartment was filled with the stench of skunk! Something had scared the little guys and they sprayed.. it was so strong it stung my eyes. At that point and time, I did not think the skunks were so cute. 

As God watches me go about my day do I please Him? Does enjoy watching what I’m doing? Or does His smile turn to disgust as I choose sin? Every action, every thought, every word, every attitude is a choice. I have the choice to choose righteousness or I have the choice to choose sin. 

Thankfully, God is gracious and merciful and a forgiving God. The stench of sin can only be removed by accepting His forgiveness. 

To create a positive day, I need to choose God’s righteousness so that I can look Him straight in the eye-for the only other option is choosing sin—which simply produces a lingering stench.