Thankful? For What?

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Have you ever run across one of those people? You know who I am talking about! One of those people who act like nothing is ever right and the world is always against them! The person you are afraid to ask how they are doing because you know the answer is going to be a 20 minute conversation about how miserable they are . . . someone stole their dog, a car ran over their big toe, their coffee was cold this morning, they didn’t sleep well last night, and on and on and on!!!! How much fun are they to be around? Not much.

Well this is the month of thanksgiving and I want to challenge us all to find a new attitude of giving thanks. We have so much to be thankful for . . . if nothing else the political ads will soon be over . . . ahhh thankfulness!!! In all seriousness what do you have to be thankful for? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have reason to give thanks for hope in a life yet to come as well as for the forgiveness in this life and the joy that comes from our Savior. If you are an American, you have reason to give thanks for the freedom you have to speak your mind, attend church, and vote for a candidate for president. I could go on forever, yet there are some people who just seem to never be happy or thankful. SHAME ON YOU! This is our wake up call, it is time to adjust our attitudes and give thanks for ALL with which we have been blessed.

As a church this will be a season of thanksgiving as well. I am thankful for the privilege of serving on staff at such a wonderful church. I am thankful for the love and support shown to my family and me. We are so fortunate to be able to call Grandview and First Baptist our home. I am thankful for the teachers in Sunday School and Busy Bees who teach Cameron and Easton about the love of God and are leading them down the road to the day they will give their lives to Christ. I am thankful for the friends Shelly and I have who encourage and challenge us to be the best we can be. All of these things are vital to us having the family God wants us to have.

What an incredible year of change it has been for First Baptist! For the most part it has all gone very well. We began a new service in January and God has blessed it in many ways. We have seen an increase in attendance and in giving and for that we should be thankful. But we have also seen an incredible amount of spiritual growth take place in our church family. Again for that we must be thankful.

Yet, as we give thanks, we must also remember to be thankful not only of the past but for the expectation of things to come. God says He will never leave us or forsake us. There is much to be done for the Kingdom of God in the days ahead. Let’s attack the challenges of the future with a thankful heart and see what God will do through us.

Happy future of thanksgiving! Life is pretty good, isn’t it?