{"id":236,"date":"2014-05-01T22:59:52","date_gmt":"2014-05-02T03:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/?p=236"},"modified":"2019-05-17T13:32:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T18:32:24","slug":"enjoy-music-give-thanks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/2014\/05\/01\/enjoy-music-give-thanks\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy the Music, and Give Thanks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"giving<\/a><\/p>\n

Love is spontaneous, but it is not random.<\/h1>\n

God sees an opportunity:\u00a0 one heart open and willing to give, another heart ready to receive.\u00a0 His Spirit prompts, and we respond. He uses us \u201cin the moment\u201d, to love and encourage someone who\u00a0crosses our path. \u00a0And we both are blessed.\u00a0 Occasionally, often after the fact, He will show us what He has been about.\u00a0 And then our joy multiplies.<\/p>\n

In those moments, we must remember to give thanks.\u00a0 The practice of thanksgiving acknowledges God at work through us, and keeps us from seeing His work as something we can take credit for. \u00a0It reminds us that our identity, value, belonging and calling come from Him alone, not from what we do.\u00a0 We are following our Shepherd in the paths of righteousness for His name\u2019s sake<\/em>. \u00a0Thanksgiving assures the continued flow of God\u2019s love through us, toward those around us.<\/p>\n

\"give<\/p>\n

Enjoy God working through you, but make sure you are directing attention and praise – yours and others\u2019 – to Him for what He is doing, not to yourself.\u00a0 You are an instrument, not the musician – a violin, not the maestro.\u00a0 You do not create or play the music.\u00a0 It moves through you.<\/p>\n

If you become comfortable receiving accolades, you will start to think that you don\u2019t need the Maestro.\u00a0 You might think you can sit and play a ditty, and expect people\u2019s hearts will be touched and changed.\u00a0 They won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"I<\/p>\n

Beware of giving yourself pats on the back for God\u2019s work though you. Then, pride multiplies. And a sense of self-sufficiency, and the false belief that you can love, as God calls you to, on your own.\u00a0\u00a0 Nothing kills the movement of the Spirit in our lives quicker than this kind of attitude.<\/p>\n

We must always be careful to give thanks for what God is doing, and has done, through us.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the music, and the part you get to play in sharing it with the world.<\/p>\n

And, always, always remember to give thanks.<\/p>\n

\"give<\/a> \"give<\/a> \"give<\/a> \"give<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Love is spontaneous, but it is not random. God sees an opportunity:\u00a0 one heart open and willing to give, another heart ready to receive.\u00a0 His Spirit prompts, and we respond. He uses us \u201cin the moment\u201d, to love and encourage someone who\u00a0crosses our path. \u00a0And we both are blessed.\u00a0 Occasionally, often after the fact, He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[464,44],"tags":[74,6,29,17,24],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finding-yourself","category-identity-value","tag-belonging-to-god","tag-gods-love","tag-love","tag-reminders","tag-thankfulness"],"yoast_head":"\nEnjoy the Music, and Give Thanks - Belovedlove<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In those moments we must remember to give thanks. 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