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Have you ever asked someone “How are you doing?” And they respond by saying, “I’m blessed by the best!” Have you ever thought about what they were getting at? When we recognize that all things come from God— our homes, our careers, our ability to take a breath— you’ll begin seeing how truly blessed you are by God. When we are blessed, we are also called to be a blessing. To give back to God the love, respect, and adoration He deserves for blessing us even in the midst of suffering, of when money it tight, of the highs and lows of life. God deserves our praise!
Who do you thank? Gratitude in all things comes through a renewed heart and mind. Being thankful is found in the Bible multiple times. As Believers, as followers of Christ, we are called to give thanks to God for everything— in all things, for all things, during all things. Thankfulness is to produce rejoicing in our lives to glorify God. Saying “thank you” to God hardly seems enough in light of all He has done for us. And yet, when we do, He gladly receives our praise.
God’s love manifests in our lives through the words and works of His people. When Jesus said He came to give us life abundant, He was not necessarily talking about money or things that the world deems important. He was speaking about receiving more and more of His love— to be blessed to overflowing so that it ends up pouring out in the lives of others. As we move closer to the cross of Christ, may we take on an attitude of gratitude for each word spoken and each deed done with love from the Father.
Do you know our lives are to reflect the thankful heart we have for what God has done? We ought to desire to walk into His presence with singing because of what Jesus has done— He saved us, He redeemed us, He called us His own! That is worth giving God all the praise and thanksgiving for working in each of our lives. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, let us remember the cost and give thanks to God for His hand of mercy and grace upon our lives.
The first church knew that love meant sacrifice. They used their time, talents, and treasures to make sure that everyone’s needs were met in their congregation. They shared what they had, and because of their love, no one among them was needy. They relied on godliness to make them content. The generosity of the church in meeting all the needs among them allowed the apostles to preach with great power. The actions of the church, their willingness to give of themselves bore witness to the change that Jesus could bring to a life.
This week we take a few steps into a New Year and trust God with everything that might lie ahead in it. God is always doing a new thing in our hearts, minds, and lives when we surrender them over to His plan and purpose. Join us this week as we discover “All Things New” and how God longs for us to join Him in this New Year.
This week we will bring Joy to the World through our praise. God’s Word has so much to say about praise it could be a sermon series in and of itself. But as we look at the characters of Moses and Mary, we find that we can rejoice for our hope has come… and Jesus will soon be returning to restore all things. Now that is something we can have an expectation of praise shouted from the mountain tops!
We’re in the month of giving thanks to God for His faithfulness. We can learn to be thankful. We can know we ought to be thankful but it is in the expression of gratitude that we build one another up and give honor to God for the gifts given to each person.
They say practice makes perfect. I’m not sure we’ll be perfect until we are in the presence of God, but as Christians we are called to practice righteousness in our walk of faith. This means learning what it means to give thanks and how to be thankful. Join us as we step into learning mode and walk as Jesus walked with a thankful heart.
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