Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. This is the time of year that we often stop and think about all the things we have to be thankful for. Are you feeling thankful today? Or are there things in your life that you are not thankful for?
It is easy to complain. It is easy to have an unthankful spirit. However, when we are unthankful we reveal a lot about our character. It is a sin to be unthankful. No one wants to be around an ungrateful person.
How do you feel when you do something for someone else and they act like it meant nothing to them? Their actions tell you that they don’t really care about you and that hurts.
Jesus know better than anyone what it feels like to sacrifice for someone and then find them unthankful. He committed no sin and yet was crucified for ours. He went around constantly doing good. He lived a perfect life and then willingly gave it up for the forgiveness of our sins.
Colossians 3:15 tells us to be thankful.
1 Thessalonian 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.
We are not supposed to keep that thanksgiving to ourselves but we need to express that to each other.
Matthew chapter 17 talks about the 10 lepers that Jesus cleansed. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. When they obeyed and went, they were healed. Out of the 10 that Jesus healed, only 1 returned to say thank you. What do you think Jesus thought? Jesus knew only 1 would return to give thanks and yet he healed all 10. I might have been tempted to undo the healing of the other 9 ungrateful lepers.
Everything we have is a gift from God. We don’t deserve any of it. Are we thankful? in all things …. Or are we some times arrogant, prideful, boastful, and unthankful?
We should be thankful to God for all the talents, gifts, abilities, jobs, income, and opportunities that we have. We need to remember that everything that exists belongs to God and that what we currently have came from God. Everything we have is to be used to God’s glory.
Ephesians 5:20 “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. “
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Earlier this week I wrote about instant gratification. Our society today is used to getting everything they want exactly when they want it. One of the biggest dangers we face today is that we have so much that we take it all for granted. Most of us have never really seen hard times. If you have always had and never really been in need, then it is easy to forget to be thankful.
One last thought is that as we are thankful we are to look out for the needs of others. Giving to others helps remind you of God’s goodness and faithfulness.
God has been so good to me that I can’t begin to count my blessings. What about you …….
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