It is our last week of practice, and the word of the week is chara. This should sound pretty familiar. It is a derivative of some of the words we have already explored:
Charis - grace / gift
Eucharisteo - giving thanks
Charizomai homologeo - acknowledging grace
Chara means JOY! Specifically chara means joy, gladness, or joy received. This word shows up 59 times in the New Testament. In the writings of the Apostle Paul, chara is often found with another word: pleroo.
Pleroo means being filled to the fullest, abounding. It is the fullest of full!
So paired together, chara and pleroo convey being filled to the fullest with joy. FULL joy. Deep, abiding, abounding joy.
Through acknowledgement and thanks for our good gifts, most especially remembering and giving thanks for the good gift of God’s grace through Christ, we find deep chara joy.
One of Jesus’ last directions for us was to remember and give thanks. We see this echoing through the years through the sacrament of Communion (Eucharist, Lord’s Supper).
Remembering and giving thanks brings joy.
How else can we maximize our joy? Our personal study this week focuses on things that bring joy to believers: redemption, hope, God’s Word, prayer, giving, and more!
Enter this last week of practice in thankfulness and praise. Rejoice in these days that God has made!
Suggested Practice:
One of the things that brings us joy as believers is giving. What is something that you personally or your family could give this week? Maybe it is giving your time to a service project. Maybe it is money. Maybe an encouraging word. An apology. A thank you.
Choose something to give. through giving we can learn to live thankfully and generously.
#livethankfully
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