"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I love the story of the twin boys. Although they looked identical, they were poles apart in personality. One boy was very negative in his outlook on life, and the other was very positive. One saw difficulty in every opportunity, and the other saw opportunity in every difficulty.
For Christmas one year, their parents decided to conduct an experiment. They gave the negative boy a great present–a brand new laptop computer! As he unwrapped his gift, he began to mutter under his breath, "I don't like this brand. The screen is too small. The memory is not big enough ... and I don't like the colour of it."
For the positive twin, they gave him a box of horse manure. As he opened the box, he sifted through the manure. After processing this strange gift, he began to giggle with excitement, "You can't fool me, Mom and Dad. Where there's this much manure, there's just got to be a pony!"
Which twin best describes you?
ALWAYS THANKFUL
The command to every one of us is clear: "In everything give thanks." An attitude of gratitude is the attitude that pleases God and sees life from the proper perspective. But how does one adopt this attitude?
- You must understand that God doesn't owe you anything. Everything you and I have is a gift from God. It is not owed or deserved, it is graciously given. Ingrates adopt an attitude of entitlement and focus on how they are getting cheated because they have less than someone else. Grateful people, however, focus on the goodness of God in blessing them with what they certainly don't deserve. They thank God for breath, health, provision (no matter how large or little), family, and friends. They stand in awe of God for the unfathomable gifts of salvation, forgiveness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, a home in heaven, and an opportunity to make a difference in this world for Christ.
- You must understand that thanksgiving is faith turned inside out. When you and I are thankful, regardless of the problems, it shows that we trust God and truly believe He is in control. We don't walk by sight or circumstances, but we walk by faith in God's Word. We hold fast to the truthfulness of Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose."
- You must understand that thanksgiving honours God. Psalm 50:23 tells us, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honours Me." Sometimes, giving thanks can be very hard. If life has just caved in on you, thanksgiving can truly be a sacrifice. But in that sacrifice of praise and thanks, God is honoured, and the devil is defeated.
This Thanksgiving weekend, let me encourage you to be truly thankful for the blessings God has given you. If bitterness has entered your heart over hurts from the past, get them out of the shadows and under His blood. Ask God to do a new and fresh work within you. Endeavor to be that positive, grateful twin, because the Word is true–"with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
Happy Thanksgiving,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
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