As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, we need to seriously look at our attitude about being thankful for the things that God has allowed us to have. One might say, “I have worked hard for what I have.” We must remember that God has blessed us so that He might be exalted. We were reminded this past Sunday from Daniel chapter 4; we must strive to build God’s Kingdom and not a kingdom for ourselves.
Several years ago, my family had the privilege of having an exchange student from Finland in our home during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. As we learned about his culture and he learned about ours, he made a comment that really made me think. He said, “You Americans are spoiled.” At that time, all three of my kids were living at home. He reminded me that there were five people in my family, and we had five vehicles in our driveway. He said there were nine in his family and they shared one vehicle. I never considered myself as spoiled, but it made me think about how God had blessed us.
This past summer, I had the privilege of traveling to the country of Ukraine to be part of a mission team. I was amazed as I talked with the people of that country about how grateful they were to God for the freedom they have as a free country. They were grateful because just a few years earlier they were under communist control. Their gratitude was so obvious in their lives because they knew what it was like to not be free. As I experienced this, it reminded me once again of how spoiled we really are and how my attitude needed to reflect gratitude for the things God has blessed us with.
During this Thanksgiving season, may we be reminded of the blessings that God has given each one of us. Don’t have the attitude of, ‘look what I have done,’ but let’s be truly grateful for the blessings that God has allowed us to enjoy. We must remember, like Nebuchadnezzar did, that we are not building our kingdom but HIS Kingdom.
Remember….Sunday is My Hope Sunday. Bring someone with you to worship and Bible Study.
Pastor Dan