"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son"
With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I thought it would be a perfect time to write about thankfulness and contentment. It's an original idea I know! I realize that I can far too often complain about what I don't have, instead of focusing on all that I have been given by our gracious God. In one of her books, Elisabeth Elliot said that, "Thanksgiving brings contentment." It's true that gratefulness is a great way to foster contentment! And the number one thing I should be grateful for is my salvation.
"My heart is never satisfied. I always want more. I've learned good gifts alone don't bring contentment. Well, maybe for a while, but not for a lifetime. Not even gifts from God. They alone don't satisfy. Plus, gifts can be taken away. What then?
Although it's right for me to be thankful for all the gifts God has given me in good health, a loving family, food, and so on, there is something more that I must be most thankful for. Christ Himself. Nothing satisfies like the ultimate gift of Christ, given through His work of salvation. There is nothing else I should be more grateful for, and nothing else that can bring about soul-deep contentment, no matter what the circumstances of life may hurl at me." - Danielle Ayers Jones
If I woke up on Thanksgiving morning to the worst circumstances possible, could I still be thankful? Like Job, who lost everything, could I still praise God? I hope so! I hope that my contentment lies in the arms of my heavenly Father and not in the things of this world. Tomorrow when I wake up I hope my first thoughts are not how excited I am about the impending feast a few hours away, but how grateful I am in knowing that I have been saved from eternal wrath, judgment and separation from God. Without that truth, nothing else matters.
"If I should suffer need,
and go unclothed, and be in poverty,
make my heart prize thy love,
know it, be constrained by it,
though I be denied all blessings."
- A Puritan Prayer -
-Lana-
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5 comments:
An excellent reminder Lana. No matter what good gifts the Lord has been faithful to give us, no gift is greater that the sacrifice of us Son on the cross. And our thanksfulness should reflect that.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Because of the greatest gift of Jesus Christ, we can be thankful for all things, both good and bad. Turky dosen't have to be served everyday but thankfulness should be given every day. Thanks for the post Lana.
Thanks Lana for the great reminder to be thankful ALWAYS!
The Lyrics you posted at the beginning of your post reminded me of Haiti. I remember singing that song at the orphanage. Listening to them sing a song of thankfulness to God brought tears to my eyes as I looked around and saw how little they had. I remember praying that God would cultivate in me a heart of joy and thankfulness that they had.
Thanks for Sharing!
ok. Kevin's comment was awesome:
Turky dosen't have to be served everyday but thankfulness should be given every day.
Yeah, definitely a quotably & applicable line.
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