Dr. Dan Coflin, Pastor
River of Life Church
Growing up, my parents taught me to say thank you when someone gave me something or said something nice about me. That seemed to be a really hard thing for me to do because I was so incredibly shy. I did not mean to be unthankful, but the fear of speaking to adults was greater than my willingness to express the gratitude people deserved. As the years passed, I became more confident and could look anyone in the eye and boldly say thank you. This may seem like a trivial thing and something that most kids struggle with, but the appreciation given to one who parted with a ball, a coin, or a piece of candy just to make someone else’s day a little brighter is meaningful and should be acknowledged.
We have all been on the receiving end of ingratitude. We might make excuses when it is a bashful child who may not yet know how to express thanks, but when we do something good for another, we expect that good work to be recognized with a simple thank you.
As we approach this Christmas season, we will experience a lot of giving and receiving. Whether it is passing the salt or green bean casserole at Christmas dinner or exchanging gifts from under the tree, many will express their gratitude with hugs and kisses and words of thanks. But what about God? How often do we stop to thank Him for all the wonderful things He does for us daily?
Those who do not believe in God or don’t believe that He has any concern with their daily lives may think that the good things that happen to them are because of their hard work and ambition or just dumb luck. But to us who believe that God not only hears our every word, but literally abides within us and knows the very thoughts of our hearts, is the one who blesses us. The scripture declares that, “Every good and every perfect gift comes down from above.” (James 1:17). Our Heavenly Father is the giver of good gifts. Loving us, providing for us, healing us, and protecting us are just some of the things God does for us. Our value to Him is immeasurable, not because of our great achievements or perfect lives, but because of His love for us. God loves us in spite of our sins and failures.
When Jesus spoke to the multitudes, he said to consider the birds and the flowers (Matthew 7:26-30). Just as they are cared for because of His goodness, not their greatness, so much more valuable are we. God does not measure our value by what we do, but by what Jesus did for us. We are the recipients of the greatest gift there ever was or ever will be. The baby in the manger was placed on the tree of the cross as an ornament of God’s incomprehensible love. On the cross, Jesus received the judgment for the sin of all mankind. God now offers us forgiveness and a place in His family for eternity. Let’s make sure that during our Christmas celebrations we remember to thank the one who gave everything for us.
Just as we will most assuredly have much to exchange after the gift giving is over, so it is with the Lord’s unspeakable gift. We get to exchange our sin for His righteousness, our brokenness for His wholeness, and our sorrow for His joy. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)