Cultivating a Thankful Heart

 

My heart is broken this morning with the news out of Waukesha, Wisconsin. I grieve for those killed, injured, and traumatized during yesterday’s parade. It is yet another reminder that our world is not as it should be. And there’s no way to make sense of such violence without acknowledging that I too am not as I should be. My world is broken and so am I.

Yesterday, I talked about how a life of gratitude in response to God’s grace produces in us “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12). Such qualities seem in short supply these days. Perhaps, as we move toward Thanksgiving Day, by God’s grace, we can live a different way.

If you missed yesterday’s sermon, you can listen to it here or watch the entire service here.

Giving Thanks When Life Hurts

 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” That can be really hard! It’s one thing to be thankful when life is going our way. But what does it mean to be thankful when life hurts?! First, it’s a paradox. As followers of Jesus and citizens of his heavenly kingdom on earth, we can hold two truths equally: that life really hurts AND God is really good. Second, gratitude is a discipline we practice. Being genuinely thankful when life hurts takes effort on our part. Third, gratitude is a gift we receive from God. In other words, embracing the paradox that life is hard and I am blessed, while practicing the human discipline of expressing thanks, even when we don’t feel like it, puts us in a position to receive God’s gift of a joy-filled spirit.

 

In addition to the Psalm 92 Challenge (Reading Psalm 92 at 9:02AM and 9:02PM every day), try making a gratitude list each night before bed. Write down 10 things from the day that you are thankful for. The list doesn’t have to be profound or deep. Just let the Holy Spirit call to mind some things from your day that you can say “thanks” for. Give it a try! I promise, it can change your life. If you missed yesterday’s sermon you can watch it on YouTube or listen to the podcast.

One-Tenth Thankful

 Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of some lepers who experience Jesus’ healing, but only one-tenth of them is thankful. An attitude of gratitude keeps us alert to God’s salvation work in us and around us. We need hearts of thankfulness. And the world needs more genuinely thankful people. (If you missed Sunday’s message you can listen to it here, or watch the entire service on our YouTube channel.) 

 

During November, we’re familiarizing ourselves with Psalm 92, a communal psalm of thanksgiving. Take the Psalm 92 Challenge! Read Psalm 92 every day, twice a day. Once in the morning at 9:02 a.m. and once in the evening, at 9:02 p.m. Let this Thanksgiving Psalm saturate your spirit and increase your gratitude quotient.