Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Worship 預覽

The Power of Gratefulness...

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
...with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

I subscribe to a bunch of home-type magazines. When the Thanksgiving season rolls around the corner, turkey and sweet potato recipes abound, plus articles on cultivating gratefulness in our lives. Yes, indeed.

Scientific research reports that those with grateful, thankful hearts have less disease, less worry, less stress, less of just about every negative in the human condition. Honest. Just Google the subject. Science is learning what God’s Word has said all along as Christian neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, often states.[i]

Thankfulness is key.

In the passage above, Paul isn’t telling us to be thankful for the stuff in our lives that are currently testing us – but to be grateful the Lord Jesus is BIGGER than all our stuff. When anxiety wants to rule our hearts and minds, the direct antidote is gratefulness and thanksgiving as we earnestly lay our every care and concern at His feet and leave it there. Yes, leave it there with Him and don’t get up until you sense His peace. As a by-product, this is how we better learn to hear Jesus’ voice with clarity and cultivate His felt presence in our lives.

The world on its own doesn’t really know Who to be grateful to. Honestly, it is kind of funny when I read these magazine articles about gratefulness. However, we know where every source of goodness and light in our lives comes from (James 1:17). Keeping at the forefront of our minds, the incredible works He has done in our lives, and all He has given us allow His peace to reign in our souls. Gratefulness recounts that He moved our mountains many times in the past, and He will do it again. Yes, He will.

[i] Caroline Leaf, Switch On Your Brain (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2013) p.13