Thankfulness

Well duh, what else would you think I write about? This is the obvious topic of this time of year, but I don't want to approach it as anyone normally would. Why are we thankful, rather, why should we be thankful? The answer is God. God is our creator, redeemer, and He sustains us. So let's think about this, we were created, saved, and are supplied daily with things to get through life. These things alone should be causing us to praise God and jump for joy and also to humble ourselves before our Lord and finally get it through our heads that we haven't done anything on our own. But alas, that is not the case because somewhere along the line it become only about us, meaning not about serving God, not about serving others, and not about being humble, but about us and how good we are at things. I do not know about you, but I for some reason can not recall the last time I created a whole entire world, saved it from destruction, and keeps it all going every day. The closest I got to that were army men and the fort I built for them out of Lincoln logs. Anyways, it all comes down to, "Why are we not praising God for what we have all day every day?" (Alle Tag jede Tag for you German speaking readers) All inside jokes aside, why are we not serving the God who is giving me the breath I'm breathing, or the sight your seeing with?  Why are we not using the life HE gives us to serve HIM so that HE will gain the glory HE rightfully deserves? I know one reason why. WE are focused on serving US so that WE will gain the glory that WE think we deserve. I am not condemning no one, I want to make that clear, because the moment I condemn another, I am condemning myself because I am no more righteous than they are because I have sinned so much that the bad would outweigh the good on a scale. But I am so thankful that God made a way for you and I to gain redemption we did not deserve so that our sins are forgiven. And I don't know about you, but I am tired of doing things on my own, for my own glory, and my own praise. To me that is not satisfying, it does not even compare to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ and doing things through Christ, for Christ's glory, so that the name of Christ will be praised. I know that I am really rambling here and switching between things often. But bear with me please. This thanksgiving I want to do something different than the classic, God I thank you for this, God I thank for that. While that is all fine and dandy, I want to act like I am thankful for it, not just say it. I want to make a difference by being different. By living my life as a testimony to my thankfulness. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be thankful, but I encourage you to act like it and not just say it. In all things, work for the glory of God so that His name is praised. Have a great day!