Have you ever had an opportunity to be around thankful people? If you have, you have been blessed. Thankful people don’t tell you how to be thankful so much as they demonstrate it. Pablo Diaz from Guidepost on November 21, 2017 made these observations (1-7) about those who are thankful.
1. Express their joy.
2. Celebrate all of God’s blessings.
3. Remember who and what helped their lives turned for the best.
4. Endure hardships with grateful hearts.
5. Serve others with their talent, time and money.
6. Value the small things in life.
7. Spend time with loved ones and fiends.
The world in which we live tells us to live for ourselves, but the Lord tells us that true joy is found in serving others. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:13, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”[1]
In our text today, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica about how he is thankful they received the good news of Jesus. 13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.[2] 1 Thess. 2:13-14
Paul was so thankful they received the good news of Jesus because he knew souls were saved and transformed. What does God’s Holy Word tell us about the value of a soul? 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?[3] Mark 8:36-37
As I begin to focus on being thankful, it changes my heart. It changes how I see myself and how I see others. I begin to see people through the eyes of Jesus which gives a perspective only He can give.
What has Jesus done in your life that you are thankful for? Take time to ponder that and don’t be surprised if your heart is not filled with joy. Praise the Lord!
To hear more about Paul’s second mission trip, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/mission-trip-two-radio-show/the-power-and-hope-of-gods-word
[1, 2, 3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ga 5:13, 1 Thes 2:13, Mark 8:36-37). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.