Thankful people are joyful people. As followers of Jesus, we have so much for which to be thankful. With His help we need to focus on the glass being 1/2 full not 1/2 empty. Erick Geiger helps us do that in today’s post!
Guest Post by Eric Geiger
We know biblically and experientially that there is a deep connection between our gratitude and our joy. The more grateful we are, the more joyful we are. The apostle Paul makes the connection:
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, emphasis added)
Christians are commanded to rejoice. And always! Because always our sins have already been forgiven and always our King rules and reigns. Joy and gratitude work together. As rejoicing increases, so will gratitude. As gratitude increases, so will joy. You can begin by reflecting on what Christ has done or by rejoicing in His grace over your life.
In the book of Galatians, we find the apostle Paul was astonished by the Christians who drifted from grace and were attempting to earn God’s approval by their good works. God’s people were living exhausting and thankless lives, so the apostle Paul asked them a single poignant question in Galatians 4:15. Here are how different Bible translations record one of the most compelling questions to ask ourselves this Thanksgiving:
- What has become of your blessedness?… (ESV)
- Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then?… (NLT)
- Where then is that sense of blessing you had?… (NASB)
- …What has happened to the satisfaction you felt at that time?… (Message)
The apostle Paul believed that the root problem was a loss of their sense of blessedness. They were miserable because they lost their rejoicing and gratitude for being blessed by Jesus. Whenever we lose a sense of how much Christ has blessed us, we fight more and enjoy His blessings less. Paul wanted to see their gratitude for Jesus recaptured. Thus, throughout his letter, Paul kept reminding them of how the Lord had blessed them.
Look at what Christ has done for you. Rejoice and be filled with gratitude. Here are thirteen reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving!
1. He rescued you.
[He] gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age… (Galatians 1:4)
2. He justified you.
…even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law… (Galatians 2:16)
3. He was crucified for you.
You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Galatians 3:1)
4. He has given you His Spirit.
…Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)
5. He has worked miracles among you.
So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard… (Galatians 3:5)
6. He was cursed for you.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… (Galatians 3:13)
7. He gave you His righteousness.
For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. (Galatians 3:27)
8. He redeemed you.
When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law… (Galatians 4:4-5)
9. He has adopted you.
…that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:5)
10. He has made you His heir.
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir. (Galatians 4:7)
11. He has set you free from the burden of earning His love.
For freedom, Christ set us free… (Galatians 5:1)
12. He blesses you with the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… (Galatians 5:22-23)
13. He has made you a new creation.
For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation. (Galatians 6:15)
May all that Christ has done for us cause us to once again be filled with a sense of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!
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