Every Christian has heard it. "Live like Jesus. Be like Jesus. Mimic Jesus in everything you do." We try our best with this impossible task. We try to love others, we try to keep our anger in check, we try to help the ones in need, we try to love our enemies, we try to respect, we try to die to ourselves, but do we try to thank our Creator enough? I don't believe that a single American citizen has nothing to be thankful for. Are we starving? Are we naked? Are we really without any materials needed to live? I've seen former slave children in Ghana, West Africa that are more thankful for their lives than the people I share my life with, me included most of the time. These are children stripped from their homes, parents promised by the fishermen that they would be cared for, even educated, and then are gone forever. These are children who I have listened tell me how they had to dive down into the murky water of Lake Volta to untangle nets where they had found the other children, sometimes even siblings, who had failed in their attempt and had drowned. And we complain about having nothing to be thankful for?
Giving thanks is one of the most powerful ways to start living a fuller life. Jesus was constantly giving thanks to his father. "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks..." (1 Cor. 11:23-24) The night before he was betrayed! That is so moving to me. Jesus was about to be hung on a cross, a fate he already knew was coming, and he gave thanks! The word excruciating was coined to describe the pain endured on the cross. This man was about to suffer through the worst pain known to our world and he could still thank his Father. I honestly don't believe I could. I can barely handle the heartbreaks he's putting me through right now. It takes all I have to pray a prayer of thanks when things aren't going according to my plans.
What if we started thanking God for the struggles. They are said to always make you stronger. Isn't He always watching over us? "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) Wow, let me state that again. Nothing in all creation will separate us from God. I talked to a dear friend of mine today about challenges. I didn't want advice, I'm sick of advice. I wanted Godly wisdom and prayer. I knew I could receive that from her. Her wisdom was "God has brought me to some pretty destructive waves and never has he left me there to drown before. So why wouldn't I always trust Him?" Why would He? If nothing can separate us from His love then how would he possibly leave us?
Is that not enough to fall to your knees and scream praises and thanksgivings to our Lord? You are never alone. Even when you see your world crashing down around you He's there and He's the one who will build you a better one.
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