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Giving Thanks is Good for You
Thanksgiving 2012
Introduction:
One of my most favorite Psalms is Psalm 139, where David talks about how awesome God is. He acknowledges how well God really knows us, He knows us even better or more than we know ourselves. David writes:
“For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that my frame was not hid from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.”
And he acknowledges that there is no place we can hide from Him.
As I thought about this, I could not help but think about how God gave us an amazing body that is capable of so much. He not only gave us a unique physical body, He also placed within that body our true essence, our spiritual body or soul. He also gave us creative powers, the ability to reason and do many physical things. He blessed us with a complex array of emotions which can triggers even more feelings which effect our attitudes, perception and even the actions we take. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
We are capable of so many different feeling like fear, sadness, trust, anger, surprise, love, joy, pride, disgust, sympathy, shame and so much more. I believe God gave us these emotions for a number of good reasons. Fear puts us on the alert and helps us to become more cautious. Love brings out the nurturing part of us. Trust enables us to feel secure in certain situations and with certain people, and so on…
I believe one of the greatest emotions that God has given us is the feeling of gratitude.
And why do I think this? Because when we feel thankful and have an attitude of gratitude, it triggers other positive emotions and feelings; like the feeling of being satisfied, happy, full of joyful and even at peace no matter what our specific circumstance may be. Having an attitudes of gratitude and thanksgiving are so very important if we hope to have or maintain a healthy, positive, peaceful outlook on life.
But the kind of attitude we have many times depends on how we view things, or see things from our own perspective. For example:
●You may just look at this day just like any other day, but if you woke up this morning with more health than illness…you are more blessed than the 11 million who will not survive this week and die.
●You may just think it’s just another ho-hum day at work… but if you have never experienced the danger of war, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation…you are far better off than the 500 million people in the world who have that to look forward to for that day..
● Sometimes you may feel like it such an inconvenience to have to get up or out to go to church on Sunday when you could be doing so many other things. But statistics show that if you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…you are more blessed than three billion people in the world who cannot do the very thing we take for granted..
● You may be bored with eating the same old things or wearing the same old clothes, or you may even be tired of your home. But in reality if you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep…you are richer than over 5 billion or 75% of this world’s population.
● If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace…you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthiest people. You see it all about perspective. More than 90 % of 7+ billion people living on this planet would love to have what you have and be where you are today.
As we begin this Thanksgiving week it’s good to think about how blessed we really are, not only because of how much we have, but also because if you learn to develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude you are going to be happier and more at peace than those who aren’t grateful and are never satisfied with what they have.
While feeding his cows, a farmer was thinking about a sermon he heard on Isaiah 1:2-3 which says, “Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.”
As he thought about this verse, one of his cows which was evidently grateful for its food and his care began to lick the farmers bare arm. Instantly the Holy Spirit flashed conviction in the farmer’s mind. He got a little choked up and a tear came to his eye as he said, “Yes it is true. How wonderful God’s word is. The poor dumb brute is really more grateful to me than I am to God, and yet I am in debt to Him for everything.” The lesson had found its way into his heart and lead him to repent.
God provides us with more blessings than we can count. God not only gave us life, He has given us so much more. Read Ephesians 1:3-14 (Click on verse to read)
Just from this one text do you see how much God has blessed us? It says…
● He has not only blessed us here in the physical realm, He has also blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
● In love, He predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. Why?
● Because it please Him to do so. (He wanted to have children who love Him)
● He has also gave something very precious to us, He redeemed us through the blood of His one and only Son, He provided forgiveness of sins.
● He has also made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ.
● And those who believe, this text says you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession
He did not have to do any of this, but he wanted to. He is our Father. We need to remember to thank God for ALL of his blessings. As I was going through the Bible this past week I came to the realization that one of the most thankful men in all the Bible, one who expressed it over and over and recommended that we do the same is the man we know as the Apostle Paul. Maybe it was because he experienced the grace of God first hand when forgiven for persecuting the church. Listen to what he writes to the early Christians:
● Colossians 2:6-7 “ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him,7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
● Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
● 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Could he be any clearer than that?
● Philippians 4:6-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Notice how tis text says that enjoying this kind of peace is conditional; it comes by praying and giving Thanks.
There is more but I am sure you get the idea. We are a blessed people, and as Christians we I challenge you to become even more grateful and the most thankful people of all. In doing so God promises to bless us with a healthy frame of mind, and peace that goes beyond understanding.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566