On my daily drive, even if I put my iTunes on shuffle, I end up listening to the ten most recent songs I have purchased on repeat, skipping over all of the rest, even though they may have once made the cut. Saying there are ten songs on my driving playlist might even be too generous. It would be more accurate to say that I listen to the same five songs on repeat during my commute. Every day. They are that good.
My repeat list currently includes Florida Georgia Line "Cruise", some She & Him Christmas music, and a few acoustic nobodies I won't mention because you probably wouldn't know who I am talking about anyways. They may be nobodies to you, but everybody is somebody, and their songs make me smile so they are somebody to me. I'll save the topic of my eclectic mellow music taste for another day.
My play it again mentality carries over into other areas of my life, too. When I was growing up, I loved to watch the same movie multiple in times in one sitting. Once the movie was finished (more often than not it was the Parent Trap or a Mary-Kate & Ashley gem), I would get up, pop our the VHS tape (remember those?), put it in the rewinder, and start the process all over again.
Even now, in the past week, I may have watched White Christmas three times, and Love Actually is on its way to the multiples list.
While listening to my current driving playlist yesterday, I started to think. What tracks am I choosing to play over and over again in my day to day life?
Too often, I get stuck on a playlist that might as well be titled "ME" (the capital letters are necessary). Some of the tracks might be titled worry, selfishness, fear, and doubt. I am constantly reminded that with the Lord, I don't have to worry, that life is about serving others, and that I have no need to fear. However, even though I recognize these as things that shouldn't be a part of my life, I sometimes choose to leave them on repeat anyways, and soon they become the song that I sing through my actions and words.
Earlier this week, I once again was reminded that we aren't called to live life with our playlist. We are called to live life to a different tune.
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thes. 5:16
Joy, Prayer, and Thankfulness.
Our natural tendency is to be joyful when it's easy to be, pray when we feel like it or think about it, and give thanks when everything is going our way.
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances"
As the holidays approach, it's so easy to get caught up in our own agendas, busy schedules, our shopping lists, and any stress we allow to come along with all of it. We put a big "ME" stamp on our agendas and march to the tune of a playlist we have compiled ourselves.
What if we chose to change our perspective and our tune?
What if we felt the joy of the season, joy that can only come from the one who gave us the greatest gift of all? What if we really stopped and prayed, prayed for the world, those we know and those we don't, and prayed for God to give us His heart during the holidays and throughout the year? What if we took this time to stop and be thankful for all we have been blessed with and those we love that we are surrounded by instead of rushing through the time we have been given?
This year, especially through the holidays, I am praying for joy, a prayerful attitude, and thankfulness. I want them to be my song in my heart and lift my step.
The more I think about it, the more I realize what Paul was talking about. If we are truly living and dwelling in the Lord, of course we are going to rejoice always. God is always good and always present. Why wouldn't we pray continually? God answers prayers and is faithful. And once we actually stop to realize all we have been blessed with, thankfulness should naturally flow from our mouths.
Living in the Spirit, joy, prayer, and thankfulness will become our natural tune. The perfect playlist. One we won't be able to wait to play over and over again.
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