“Therefore,
as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in
him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in
thanksgiving.” Col. 2:6, 7 ESV
It is easy
to take things for granted. We can miss the
many little things God does every day of our lives. We can also miss how God uses others in our
lives. In my recent trip to Haiti, I saw
how grateful the Haitians are both to God and others. Instead of concentrating on what they would
like to have, they concentrate on how God is blessing them. One Haitian told me that he loves how God shows
His face every day in Haiti. God is the
one who provides and protects. He added,
“To live life every day, God must show up.”
They also see and appreciate the investment people make in their growth
or ministry. They take time to thank
others for investing time, concern, teaching, resources, or encouragement in
their lives.
People are
moved to appreciation when they know the intent of the action is good, they
realize the cost to the giver, and they understand the extent to which it
affects their life. When I reflect on
what Jesus did for us, I see that He acted out of great love. The cost included giving up the glory of
Heaven to live life on earth and suffer and die to pay for our sins. This changes everything in our lives. We gain forgiveness, become a member of God’s
family, gain hope and power and purpose for our lives, and a place in eternity
with God. We should live in awe and gratitude to
God.
Christians
should be the most thankful people on earth, and it should affect them every
day. Who in your life has taught you,
encouraged you, or invested time or resources to help you? Take the time to say “thank you”. Appreciate the gifts God has given you
through the people in your life. Realize
every moment you are alive is a gift from God.
Thank Him continually. How can you, filled with gratitude, live
every day for God? Check out https://go.efca.org/ministries/reachglobal/crisis-response for ways you can be involved in the lives of
others.
