Once again I have been considering life and ministry, and as I do so, one word comes prominently to mind. It is the word gratitude.
Through the story our Lord tells of the day laborers, our Lord reminds us of how central the mindset of gratitude is for our lives. The apostle Paul in Philippians includes the practice of thanksgiving as an important part of rejoicing in the Lord and prayerfully presenting our anxieties, needs, and even desires to the Lord. Paul explains that gratitude is central to knowing the peace of God, which only God can bestow upon us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I was reminded of this recently as a member of IBC Munich was discussing the world circumstances and some of the devastation so many in the world are experiencing. The normal approach would have been to compare the pleasant circumstances he and those who are a part of our church normally enjoy with those who are experiencing devastation and say, “I am grateful we are not experiencing such circumstances." That however was not the attitude expressed. Rather, his comment was, "We see these things others are going through, and yet we complain about every little thing." The comment is both an encouragement and a rebuke—a very insightful way of reminding us of how important it is to maintain a sense of gratitude.
So what am I grateful for today? I am of course grateful for my life circumstances, the security in which I live, the privilege of living in a country I can enjoy, the relatively good health my family and I are experiencing, the wellbeing of my children at present, the friends with whom I share life. I am grateful for these things, but I am reminded that our gratitude rises out of a much more profound reality—hope in Christ.
I recently stood at the bedside of a critically ill person, and as we spoke together, I was reminded in a very, very profound way of what we as believers have that cannot be taken away and that undergirds all of our life. It is the love of God, which provides an incorruptible hope that cannot be tainted by any earthly or eternal experience or circumstance. His love has been demonstrated for us through the death on the cross of the Son of God and through the power of the resurrection. When thinking on this hope and how much our Heavenly Father loves us (He allowed Jesus, who lived in perfect righteousness, to die for my unrighteousness so I can live with hope), I can only humbly say, "Thank you, Lord.”
Let me commend the reading of Romans 8:31-39 to you today, as we continue to abide with hope and gratitude in fellowship with Him who has loved us and given Himself for us.
Through the story our Lord tells of the day laborers, our Lord reminds us of how central the mindset of gratitude is for our lives. The apostle Paul in Philippians includes the practice of thanksgiving as an important part of rejoicing in the Lord and prayerfully presenting our anxieties, needs, and even desires to the Lord. Paul explains that gratitude is central to knowing the peace of God, which only God can bestow upon us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I was reminded of this recently as a member of IBC Munich was discussing the world circumstances and some of the devastation so many in the world are experiencing. The normal approach would have been to compare the pleasant circumstances he and those who are a part of our church normally enjoy with those who are experiencing devastation and say, “I am grateful we are not experiencing such circumstances." That however was not the attitude expressed. Rather, his comment was, "We see these things others are going through, and yet we complain about every little thing." The comment is both an encouragement and a rebuke—a very insightful way of reminding us of how important it is to maintain a sense of gratitude.
So what am I grateful for today? I am of course grateful for my life circumstances, the security in which I live, the privilege of living in a country I can enjoy, the relatively good health my family and I are experiencing, the wellbeing of my children at present, the friends with whom I share life. I am grateful for these things, but I am reminded that our gratitude rises out of a much more profound reality—hope in Christ.
I recently stood at the bedside of a critically ill person, and as we spoke together, I was reminded in a very, very profound way of what we as believers have that cannot be taken away and that undergirds all of our life. It is the love of God, which provides an incorruptible hope that cannot be tainted by any earthly or eternal experience or circumstance. His love has been demonstrated for us through the death on the cross of the Son of God and through the power of the resurrection. When thinking on this hope and how much our Heavenly Father loves us (He allowed Jesus, who lived in perfect righteousness, to die for my unrighteousness so I can live with hope), I can only humbly say, "Thank you, Lord.”
Let me commend the reading of Romans 8:31-39 to you today, as we continue to abide with hope and gratitude in fellowship with Him who has loved us and given Himself for us.
