Life in the Overflow Would you consider yourself a grateful person? With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we’d do well to ponder that question. After all, we are called to emulate Jesus, and His life was characterized by gratitude. Throughout His ministry, He regularly expressed His thanks to the Father. Before breaking the bread and fish to feed thousands of people, He paused to give thanks (Matt. 15:36). Prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus stood at the tomb and thanked the Father for hearing the prayer that was about to be answered (John 11:41-42). And just hours before His own death, Jesus expressed gratitude as He blessed the bread and wine of the new covenant (Mark 14:22-23). How about you? Are you communicating gratitude on a regular basis? The Christian’s life should be characterized by it. However, becoming a thankful person is not a matter of self-effort. Genuine thankfulness flows from a grateful heart, and a grateful heart comes from Christ’s life expressed through us. It’s not simply about choosing to try and be more grateful. Rather, it’s a daily choice to surrender control of our life to the Lord. That’s when He’s free to demonstrate His character through us. So what does it look like when Christ transforms us into grateful people? First, we’ll be filled with confidence in the Lord and His Word. Knowing that He’s working everything out for our good (Rom. 8:28) and developing within us the priceless treasure of faith, we can respond with gratitude even in painful trials (1 Pet. 1:6-7). Next, we’ll recognize Him as the source of all good things. Contentment and peace will be evident in our life because we’ll understand that whatever God chooses for us is best—whether much or little. In fact, our appreciation will be based not on externals but on the joy of our relationship with Christ. Finally, a grateful person is generous. God wants His children, like flowing streams, to pass blessings on to others. Selfishness always stifles gratitude, but giving increases it. This year, don’t let Thanksgiving Day be your only expression of gratitude. Choose to surrender your life to Christ, asking Him to give you a grateful heart. Then thank Him for His faithfulness in both good and hard times.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 05:19:58 +0000
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