Sup guys,
some thoughts about thankfulness this morning. The first was a simple reminder to myself that the focus of genuine gratitude should always be the giver - its immediate happiness comes not from the value of the gift itself but from the act of giving.
The second is a realization that the practice of gratitude is an exercise in humility. Gratitude increases with the undeservedness of the receiver. I rarely feel thankful towards my employer for a paycheck because i earned what i received. But thankfulness is present when I am given something I did not earn, it is greater when it is something i did not deserve, and it is greatest when it is something i will never able to repay. To be able to receive such gifts takes a VERY humble person. The humble finds great joy in thanking others. It is the proud who find themselves with a ceaseless need to maneuver their social standings such that they are constantly being thanked by everyone around them.
But what about the words "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35)? That line, if misunderstood, becomes dangerous to an application-crazy church culture. There is nothing wrong with acts of kindness that naturally results in heartfelt "thank yous." What I have a problem with is my tendency to disguise a desire for praise and adoration with generosity and the illusion of self sufficiency this kind of "giving" tends to breed in me. I hate these things about myself...it's unbelievable how vain I can be. To be a humble giver, I must first learn to be a humble receiver. To be a humble receiver, I must acknowledge myself as limited and in much need of grace, kindness, and mercy from not only God, but people as well.
Encouragement for the week: as we enter thanksgiving, may we find a humble delight in acknowledging our needs and how they're being met by God and people around us with God-exalting gratitude.
Happy Wednesday!
Edward
"We love because [God] first loved us." - 1 John 4:19
"Peter said to him, 'You shall never wash my feet.' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.'" - John 13:6-7
"For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man..." - Romans 1:21-23
baby monkey riding a piglet....backwards..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_sfnQDr1-o&feature=player_embedded
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