Thankfulness is the ability to see back in the past for what God has done.
Praise is the ability to see and create what God can do in the future.
Praise looks into the future and creates a place for God to inhabit and to come and change this earth.
Proverbs 13:12 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. 13 Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.
A scientific study showed that you cannot be anxious and thankful at the same time.
Depression words that describe a condition.
If you're in that condition what do you do what's the answer what's a solution?
When we as human beings lose hope we believe that there's nothing we can do to change the situation and so then therefore we stop trying. And when we stop trying our hope is deferred it's gone and we succumb to the situation. It becomes our ruler, it becomes our God, it becomes our dictator.
Now some people may say you know you have to get out and do some things and all of that which I think is part of living it's it's the whole part of you that has to be revived.
But there's a core part where hope has to be renewed to undo the effects that the feeling of hopelessness has produced.
Luke 21:26
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
So we have to reset or redefine what we want our habits in our actions in our lifestyle to be.
But it has to come for him a place where we truly believe that if we make these changes life will actually change. That takes faith and trust in God when we have experience contrary to what is good
Matthew 12:34 Abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
To stop and turn around or to go in a different direction we actually really have to stop going in the direction we're going if you're driving forward you have to come to a stop before you can go into reverse you can try to just go the other direction but what happens is you really destroy the gears because they're really only meant to go one way at a time.
So we have to recognize that we are doing things that take us to a place of hopelessness we are doing things that that moves us in the direction of depression and we have to stop doing those things and then begin doing something else and that's the challenge we can stop sinning
Psalms 95:2-3 Come before the Lord with Thanksgiving. For the Lord is the great God.
If we don't start living now we're not moving at all and really that's just as bad as still being depressed being hopeless or still at that place until we start going the other direction we're still stuck there.
Discussion Points
How did your perceptions of raise and thankfulness change?
What truth prepared you to overcome the Giants of Anxiety or depression?
What part of the word came to you or what was a precious nugget you wrote down?
Great post Rev. Ryan. I love your first statement, "My perception of praise became clearer on what I need to be doing more often!" Me too! Then you buttoned it up with the rest, "Praise being the ability to see and create what God is going to do in the future really stirred up in me because of what I see Him doing here in BAM PA. I am thankful for what He has done to get me and my household to the place where we are now but I need to praise Him for what He is going to do in the future: Making disciples and multiplying sheep here in our home! WOW.. It is unfolding before my eyes…
Thank You Pastor Aaron for reminding us of the power of thankfulness and even bringing new understanding!
How did your perception of praise and thankfulness change? There were a couple of statements made that helped me see a bit differently. Praise looks forward into the impossible, the darkness, and sees what God can and will do. So if we can see it because we have come to know God then we not only can but will declare what we see Him doing--that is a new way to see praise for me. Thankfulness gives us sure footing for where we are right now. I love this because when we are not thankful but only see the problems, or the giants in…
How did your perceptions of praise and thankfulness change? For me, my perceptions changed by understanding that praise doesn’t happen unless thankfulness happens first. We need to remember what God has already done to expect Him to do something in our present and future. Is our praise sincere? True? Do we believe that God wants to do inhabit and do something in our future? We need to be thankful in “all things” even when it may be uncomfortable just as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. If we are not thankful, we will dwell on those things that lead us to allowing those giants of anxiety and depression to have dominion.
What truth prepared you to overcome the giants of anxiety…
How did your perceptions of raise and thankfulness change?
Thankfulness marks a memory of what happened or what is current, and praise pushes forward. Praise is the ability to see and create what God can do in the future.
What truth prepared you to overcome the Giants of Anxiety or depression?
Really been chewing on what you brought out about not being able to be thankful and anxious at the same time. #1 am I anxious? Yep, had been there. Am I not being thankful, what got me there? Anxiety wants a quick answer for relief, numb it, ignore it. But while that may be coming to a rolling stop, it’s not reversing and going the other direction to life.…
Great message Pastor Aaron
Discussion Points
How did your perceptions of praise and thankfulness change?
My perception of praise became clearer on what I need to be doing more often! Praise being the ability to see and create what God is going to do in the future really stirred up in me because of what I see Him doing here in BAM PA. I am thankful for what He has done to get me and my household to the place where we are now but I need to praise Him for what He is going to do in the future: Making disciples and multiplying sheep here in our home! WOW.. It is unfolding before my eyes and I just …