Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day
I am so grateful for the dedication of so many people who make LFC what it is – but above all for God! His presence changes everything and is the powerful force that draws us close. This past Sunday as we worshipped I turned to see several people, men and woman, weeping quietly but being deeply impacted by God’s presence. Sunday night, the same experience happened as our church sanctuary was full for a Night of Celebration. It was very moving and joy-filled time. God is reminding us time and time again, that He has a very real reason for LFC being here and growing and impacting out community. Sunday was one of our higher AM attendances on a normal day in the history of our church.
This Monday night our “feeding team’ served over 70 people a warm meal and provided them with essentials for their lives as well – but most of all some great heart-felt service and a touch of God’s love. We’re grateful for this church family that year-after-year gives sacrificially, serves wholeheartedly, and selflessly dedicates their time and talents to our church and into this community. We couldn’t do all that we do without you and your gifts! We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday filled with God’s presence. If you are spending the day with others, make sure they know the extent to which you are GRATEFUL for them. Go and tell them and while you are at it – lift your voice and tell God.
Pastor Bernie
(below I have compiled some thoughts on gratitude – read on)
2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (NIV)
Gratitude
Thanksgiving is deeply connected to God’s work of grace in the lives of more and more people. It is the very thing that is happening at LFC. It is what drives LFC! What thrills us to gratitude and causes us to smile deeply – it is what God is doing in the lives of people and their growing encounter with His grace.
This gratitude is more than saying, “Thank you,” when someone gives you something. Gratitude is more than an action which we decide to do by an act of will power. It You can say the words, “thank you,” when there is not gratitude in your heart at all. What it takes to turn the words, “thank you,” into gratitude is the real genuine feeling of gratitude. Gratitude is (as we discussed Sunday) an intentional heart that is ready to applaud before the concert starts, or even if the concert is cancelled. It cannot be willed into existence directly if it is not there. If you give a child some underwear for Christmas, he may say, “Thank you,” because it is the right thing to do or because his parents are standing nearby. But the spontaneous feeling of gratitude will probably not be there, like it would be if you gave him a new cell phone, video game or 1,000 dollars in cash money. Gratitude rises in our hearts, as a form of delight. It is intentional and purposeful.
The Link Between Grace and Gratitude
In our verse, gratitude grows in the context of grace – gratitude is a response to grace. Paul says the purpose of his grace-spreading ministry is for God’s sake. “It is all for your sake, so that as grace spreads to more and more people it may increase gratitude to the glory of God.
All of Paul’s work for the gospel, and ours is about expanding and extending grace to others. But it flows out of our recognition of the grace of Jesus Christ. The reason so many people have issues with being grateful is that they have not fully discovered grace. Christian gratitude is joy directed toward Jesus for His grace. It is deeply connected to grace but is expressed toward God and His glory. What God is doing in your life, right now, His touch, His work is cause for gratitude and an expressed heart to the glory of God and not your own. It is a person who says: “Lord I am grateful for your touch on my life, but I am also grateful for you, even if you don’t touch me – you have done enough already!” It is a person who says: “Lord thank you for allowing me to serve you. Lives are being changed by your grace. But it is not me doing the work, it is you! And I give YOU all the glory for it.”
Gratitude is joy toward God for his grace.
Gratitude is expressing all thankfulness for the glory of God.
Hudson Taylor, who endured great hardships and tragedies in his lifelong mission work in China, said when he was old, “I never made a sacrifice.” What he meant was that along the path of self-denying service you experience so much joyful gratitude for God’s sustaining grace that, whatever you forsake to buy that pearl, it is as if there were no sacrifice at all. Therefore, a life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are always the same life. And what makes them one is gratitude.
Go for being grateful and have a blessed Thanksgiving.
I hope to see you soon and know my life is better because you are in it,
Pastor Bernie