This is the ideal time to point out something that we’ve lost in our national debates and decisions.  The good news is we can get it back!  What am I talking about?

Gratitude.

Since it’s a holiday, perhaps you’ve got a few minutes to let Hezekiah Walker remind us of the need to be grateful.

Please don’t misunderstand. Gratitude isn’t a magic wand.

• Gratitude doesn’t fix the problems around me, even my first-world problems.
• Gratitude doesn’t pretend everything is hunky-dory.
• Gratitude doesn’t cause me to lose focus on important things.

But gratitude is a powerful tool that we’ve too easily abandoned in our country and our personal lives.

• Gratitude gives me the power of perspective.
• Gratitude gives me the joy to endure difficulties.
• Gratitude gives me a heart for God who alone has the power to fix the biggest problems in our world.

So as you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday today, ask yourself these questions. They may help you rediscover something that we truly cannot afford to lose.

1. Have you thanked someone who disagrees with you for helping you see and understand a different perspective on life?
2. Have you thanked God for his faithfulness to you DURING the difficult season(s) of your life? (Paul instructs us not to be anxious, but to present our requests to God WITH THANKSGIVING.)
3. Have you remembered to thank God for the things that ARE going well in your life? (e.g. the air you breathe, the friends you have, the roof over your head, the car in your driveway, the food in your pantry, the friends in your contact list, and the first responders who come to your aid in times of crisis)
4. Have you thanked God for his Son, Jesus Christ, who took on human form, and took on the sin of the world, and took on the enemy of God and won the victory so that we could be part of God’s new family?

Gratitude is so important it becomes a theme in one book of the New Testament.  Here’ an excerpt:

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.  (Colossians 3:15-17)

Let me encourage you to take a few minutes today to share your gratitude with someone else.  We can’t afford to lose our gratitude.  Come to think of it, those around us can’t afford for us to lose it either.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. I’m grateful for our incredible church, Seneca Creek, where God continues to exceed our expectations week after week.  I’m grateful that he doesn’t leave us where we were when he found us!

P.P.S. We’re going to launch at December Bible reading plan. To get ready, be sure to download the Bible app (LifeChurch version) from the App Store or Google Play store.  If you don’t use a smart phone, the link above will also take you to a web site you can use.  Then keep an eye on your email for details next week.