Thanksgiving day and week are an easy time for us to stop and reflect. And, no matter where you are on life’s journey, there’s no doubt that you have some earthly things to be thankful for.
I can fall in line and list those things as easily as the next. A beautiful, loving, God-chasing wife. Three really cool kids that I’m having fun watching turn into young adults (and the blessed earthly memories of my little guy in heaven). Parents that love and support me. Family and a small circle of friends that I can count on. A job that helps me provide for my family.
All of those majors just scratch the surface!
But, those pale in comparison to the gratefulness I have in my heart for the grace and mercy afforded me each day through the blood of Jesus Christ.
While I fall short of my pursuit of Christlike-ness each day (Romans 3:23), I cling to the promise that He is ready for me to try again tomorrow (Lamentations 3:22-23).
I hold tightly to the promise He made that He sacrificed for me even while He waited on me (Romans 5:8) to accept this great gift.
I feel the same way Paul did when he recognized how unworthy we are (1 Timothy 1:15) and I also remind myself that thinking that my own “goodness” is good enough compared to others really shows I have either forgotten or have miscalculated the gap between me and the measuring stick that is God’s holiness (Isaiah 64:6).
So, what do we do? Just hold on to this gift, with a thankful heart that we had an opportunity to accept it in the first place?
Of course not!
Several years ago, at the community Thanksgiving church services in Humboldt, the pastor (of whose name and church I can’t place) entitled his message, “Thanks, While Giving.” (Full disclosure, I also can’t recall where his sermon took us. . .judge away!)
But, that title.
You can be thankful and rattle off something that sounds like the rest of us. You might even scoff at my meager list and pour on one that wows the crowd.
But being blessed comes with responsibility! And the Bible gives us a ton of reasons to, instead of just sitting around bathing in our own thankful hearts, to turn and pour out as much or more as we drink in. And almost every one of those reminders assures you that the circle of blessing continues its motion in perpetuity!
Scripture says more than once that if we just give a little, He will see it and run it back in our favor (Malachi 3:10-12; Luke 6:38; Proverbs 11:25; Proverbs 19:17).
He also tells us that the true heart of a believer is marked in love, and that very love manifests itself in generosity (2 Corinthians 9:7). And further we should apply that towards each other based on the model He provided – Christ Jesus Himself (John 15:12)!
Man! I don’t know that I can be truly thankful with being a giver!
Giving my physical resources, yes, but also . . .
Giving my time.
Giving my attention.
Giving my friendship.
Giving the benefit of the doubt.
Giving away my selfish desires.
Giving respect.
I pray that my life is marked with those things. If yours is marked with worldly pursuits, bitterness, hatred, or even an arrogant measure of what we should are are thankful of, mark today as when you allow the love of the Creator change those!
Each day, our prayer should be that we live by the two commandments Jesus left His disciples with (Matthew 22:36-39): Love God and Love Others. My ego and selfish desires weren’t mentioned.
That giving list is not complete without the most important thing that we, as believers should be pouring out. Giving others the message about God’s amazing love!
So, this Thanksgiving season, don’t just give thanks . . .
. . . But Thanks While Giving
Amazing love, how can it be
That You, a KING would die for me!
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my JOY to honor You
In all I do, I honor You
Scottish Invasion 