Thankful…Grateful…Blessed. You see it everywhere. It is hanging in our homes, in our offices, we see it posted on social media…we are even wearing the t-shirts. It’s sounds really great, but do we really know what it means? Do we believe these words enough to live them out or is it just a cute trendy thing to say? As we approach Thanksgiving, it is a perfect time to take a moment to sit back and reflect on what these words really mean.
We are thankful. We are grateful. We are blessed. If we truly believe these things then it should affect how we live our everyday lives. Moment by moment with a heart filled with gratitude, with a spirit of thankfulness knowing we are truly blessed by God.
I thought I knew what it meant to be thankful…grateful…blessed until I traveled to India. As we drove from the airport to the hotel I was overwhelmed by the poverty. The streets were filled with chaos, and everywhere I looked there was trash and filth. Then I visited the slums. In the midst of the most deplorable conditions, I met the most precious children. They were so thankful for the opportunity to go to school. Grateful for the chance to have an education. Blessed to have people in their lives to care for them, clothe them and teach them about God.
We went to bless them, yet we walked away the ones who were blessed. Hearing the laughter. Seeing the smiles and listening as these children sang, “My hope is in you Lord. My strength is in you Lord,” was a reminder of how blessed we are to have a Heavenly Father that can bring contentment and joy in any situation. To say these kids have a hard life is a gross understatement. They are defying the odds every single day. They are an inspiration of what it means to be thankful in all things.
Pastor Ken always says, "We have been blessed in order to be a blessing." How can we be more of a blessing to others? First, we have to get our focus off of ourselves. We must look at the world around us. When we do, we see the abundance that we have in our lives, and we can’t help but turn around and share it with others.
We have been blessed in order to be a blessing.
The ultimate blessing we have is salvation through Jesus. What an amazing gift God has given us. Words can’t describe it, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. All we can do is accept it. When we have the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is living and active in our lives then we can wear the shirt…Thankful, Grateful, Blessed…and realize the depth of what that means.
We are thankful for a God who loves us. We are grateful for a Savior who gave his life, and we are blessed beyond measure. Let’s take Thankful, Grateful, Blessed to a deeper meaning. Let’s not make it our focus one day a year or use it as trendy decor. Instead, let’s impact the world around us by living Thankful, Grateful, Blessed lives 365 days a year.