John 12:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


Part of the enemy's prerogative his innerworkings of our lives to to stir ungrateful hearts in us. It is incredibly easy to become tunnel visioned at the experiences around us. Mary could have sat in a place of being amazed that Jesus simply wasn't present. She could have with held praise out of her own greed for her belongings. She could have allowed social boundaries keep her from worshipping as she did. Despite every reason she may have found to not give praise, the reason to praise was so much greater. And praise she did.

The enemy knows how ungratefulness has been sown among us. He is the one who has sown such seeds of discontentment and greed. We live in a glass-half-empty kind of world. Truth be told, that doesn't look good on the believer.

Let me share a verse with you that may catch you a little off guard:

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Romans 15:13


When you take a look at the church today, do you see a people filled with all joy and peace in believing? Do you see a people abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit? Unfortunately, such people are so few and far between, even within the Church. We think of a prayer like this being too lofty of an idea. It is easier to pray for the dead to rise than for the church to be filled with such things as this. It is true that we are bad at rejoicing. We are bad at praise. We struggle with the idea of peace because turmoil is stirred in all of us. The idea of perpetually existing in joy and peace is a fever dream. But this is biblical. This is what the people of God ought to look like.

In the effort of the practice of praise, I am going to come before the Lord and meditate on Romans 15:13. I encourage you to do the same. See what the Lord is seeking to produce in you and allow him to make that move. Let yourself be filled with these things and rejoice in Him.

What application are you implementing today?
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