Daily Reflections, Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Today's Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

According to my Bible software, 84 times the Bible mentions the phrase "give thanks." In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we read that this is really not a suggestion or something nice to do on Thanksgiving, but the will of God. Christians wonder all the time, "What is the will of God?" Well, here we see that part of it is to give thanks and to give thanks in all things. For Christians in third-world countries where poverty is the norm and life is uncertain, giving thanks for the small things is not hard at all. But for us who are Christians in America, who are accustomed to getting everything we want, thankfulness doesn't come easily. And with every genera- tion, things that used to be considered luxuries are considered necessities. Just compare the size of homes from 20,30, and 40 years ago. But Christians are supposed to be different. So how do we escape the lure of covetousness? How do we avoid the trap of creeping materialism? How can we be content with the stuff God has already given us? The Bible has the answer. Pursue thankfulness. Not just at Thanksgiving, but every day of your life.

Today's Quote: Thankfulness is not some mysterious virtue. Its simply stepping back and thanking God for the stuff you already have.