1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: have you listening. Today's topic is about a heart full 3 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: of gratitude. We'll return with the devotional after a brief 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: message from one of our sponsors. A heartful of Gratitude 5 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: instead of Grumbling written and read by Emily Rose Massey. 6 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 1: Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may 7 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: be blameless and innocent children of God, without blemish, in 8 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom 9 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: you shine as lights in the world. Philippians, Chapter two, 10 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: verses fourteen through fifteen. When it comes to sin in 11 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: our lives, sometimes we attempt to overlook or give excuses 12 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: for our behavior if we feel like our actions are 13 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: justified because of our circumstances. For example, when I am 14 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: sleep deprived, my flesh thinks it's perfectly acceptable for me 15 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: to deal out a hefty dose of sarcasm to my 16 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: eight year old who has asked me the same question 17 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: twelve times before my morning coffee, or to murmur under 18 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: my breath that I can't believe my husband left his 19 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: glass of milk from the night before on the floor again, 20 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: And of course the Toddler just stumped it all over 21 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: the living room right on queue. But those actions do 22 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: not glorify God, and they are rooted in sin. If 23 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: I am a child of God, his spirit will bring 24 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: conviction to my heart with his word, because it is 25 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: my heart that needs attention and change. When I'm tempted 26 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: to complain, which we are all naturally prone to every 27 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: single day. This passage from Philippians chapter two comes to 28 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: mind to bring truth to my heart. Do all things 29 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: without grumbling or disputing. That you may be blameless and 30 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: innocent children of God, without blemish, in the midst of 31 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as 32 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: lights in the world. Philippians, Chapter two, verses fourteen through fifteen, 33 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: intersecting faith in life. As God's children, we are not 34 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: to grumble. We must remember that ultimately grumbling is complaining 35 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 1: against the sovereign God of the universe and saying he 36 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: isn't good, which is sinful. When we complain, we should repent, 37 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: reset our minds by thinking our things above, and rejoice 38 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: and give thanks to God for his graciousness towards us. 39 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: There are new mercies available to us every single morning. 40 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps it would be a beneficial habit to create a 41 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: daily list of things that you are grateful for, to 42 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: help cultivate a heart of contentment and gratitude. Despite hardships 43 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: and inconveniences in our lives and relationships, we are called 44 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: to rejoice and find our joy in Christ. It all 45 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: comes down to the attitude and posture of our hearts. 46 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: How about your attitude when you disagree with someone or 47 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,839 Speaker 1: they have offended you. When you are in a disagreement 48 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: with someone, do you want to be right more than 49 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: you want to pursue unity with that person? Do you 50 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: allow a bad attitude to drag you into unnecessary arguments 51 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: or even gossip, to complain to someone else instead of 52 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: going directly to the person you are annoyed or upset with. 53 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: Disagreements are inevitable, but most of all, God cares about 54 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: our attitude during disagreements and doesn't want us to be 55 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: swept up in foolish arguments constantly. We can disagree with 56 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: others without being disagreeable or prideful. If we are entangled 57 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: in senseless disputing and complaining, the world has trouble seeing 58 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: the light of Christ in our lives. We see in 59 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: verse fifteen of Philippians, Chapter two, that the Lord wants 60 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: Christ followers to shine bright in a culture full of darkness. 61 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: Our lives are to be a brilliant beacon of light 62 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: in the darkness, as we stand as God's children against 63 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: the wickedness of the world. That you may be blameless 64 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: and innocent children of God without blemish, in the midst 65 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine 66 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: as light in the world. Philippians, Chapter two, verse fifteen. 67 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: One way we can protect ourselves against complaining and empower 68 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: our hearts to shine bright for Christ is to be 69 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: diligent to cling daily to the Word of Life, so 70 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: that we can thrust it into a dark world. The 71 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: Word of God helps us to renew our minds so 72 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: we can cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and stand 73 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: out in the world, pointing others to the hope that 74 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: we know in Jesus. In addition to our daily time 75 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: and the Word, we must abide in the vine. By 76 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: communing with Him daily, we can call upon the name 77 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: of the Lord to cry out for help when we 78 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: are at tempted to complain and grumble. He is our 79 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 1: ever present help in times of need and is faithful 80 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: to strengthen us further reading Psalm one oh seven First Thessalonians, 81 00:05:54,480 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: Chapter five, Verses sixteen through eighteen. Thanks for listening to 82 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: today's devotional. If you liked what you heard today, we 83 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: want to make sure you know about our sister podcast, 84 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer. 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