It’s November now, which brings two opportunities to reflect on gratitude: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
On Nov. 11 of each year we observe Veterans Day, remembering those who have served in the military to keep us safe. We are grateful for their sacrifice, without which we could not enjoy the freedoms we have as a nation. If you know someone who is serving or has served in the military, be sure to thank them.
Then, of course, we celebrate Thanksgiving. There is something about gathering with loved ones and feasting together that naturally lends itself to gratitude.
Gratitude is acknowledging a gift and giving thanks for it. Everyone knows it is rude not to say thank you, but how often do we go through our days blind to the gifts we have been given? It is easy to focus on the negative and on what we do not have; gratitude helps us shift our attitude toward a posture of worship.
Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
Gratitude honors God and is a part of worship. If we want to live a life of worship, we must continually remind ourselves of all that God has done for us.
I took communion at church this past Sunday, and it reminded me that every time we take part in it, we are being thankful by remembering Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
We repent, receive forgiveness and thank Christ for his sacrifice. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that through Jesus’ death and resurrection we can come before the Lord with confidence to receive grace.
In the Old Testament, sacrificing and feasting went hand in hand as ways to affirm a covenant relationship. At the Last Supper, Jesus continued the tradition, prophetically commemorating his own sacrifice and feasting with his disciples before he went to the cross. He established communion as a way for Christians to affirm their covenant relationship with God and regularly practice gratitude.
Through the practice of communion, we see how sacrifice, gratitude and feasting all go together. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice and offer thanks to him, we can feast on his goodness. As we remember the blessings we have, we realize God’s abundant goodness and want to share it with others.
The proper response to gratitude is generosity.
In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells a parable of a king who forgave one of his servants’ debts. That same servant, however, was owed money by another servant, but refused to forgive him and had him imprisoned. When the king heard how the forgiven servant treated his debtor, he was furious, saying, “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”
The servant whom the king forgave was ungrateful; he received the gift of forgiveness but did not extend it to others. This parable teaches us that the Lord blesses us so that we can bless others. Gratitude is not only about receiving but also passing on the blessings we have been given.
Generosity is costly. It requires us to deny our selfishness. However, it is well worth the cost.
In Matthew 10:39, Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Here Jesus illustrates the principle that denying the flesh leads to spiritual life. Living out a life of gratitude requires us to sacrifice our selfish desires, but it also enriches us spiritually.
This November, I encourage you to pay attention to your life. Remind yourself of all you have to be grateful for, especially what Christ has done for you. Worship God by receiving his grace, giving thanks for it and extending it to others.
Henze is a copy editor for The Liberty Champion.