Thursday, February 16, 2012

Gratitude (part 1)

Give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men (Psalm 107:8).

When you were a child, how often did Mom or Dad have to remind you to say ‘thank you’ to someone? If I had to guess, I’d say quite a bit.

It’s not in our nature to express gratitude. You don’t see the boss thanking you for getting to work on time. Teachers don’t thank students for turning in their homework. How often does your teenager thank you for doing his laundry or servicing her car? How often does your family thank you for cooking dinner or taking out the garbage?

Typically, we save words of gratitude for something big—giving an expensive gift, organizing a special event, or delivering a huge favor. But even when something truly wonderful comes our way, we sometimes struggle with expressing our gratitude.

We don’t like being in debt. When someone gives us a special gift, we feel as if we owe them and the debt should be repaid. A lady treated to an extravagant night on the town might feel as if she owes her date something more than just a kiss when they say goodnight. A man who receives a thoughtful and personal gift from his girlfriend might feel obligated to say the words “I love you”, even if he’s not ready to. When we feel indebted, there’s a pressure to settle things up as quickly as possible.

But sometimes you get favors that are beyond your ability to repay. Think of the farmer who is put in the hospital just as harvest begins; while he is laid up, a bunch of friends and neighbors gather to finish the work he is unable to do. How can you express adequate thanks for that?

Sometimes you just have to say thank you and accept that you’ll never be able to pay back the favor you were given. That’s how it is with Jesus. On the cross, the Son of God suffered hell and gave up His life so you can be forgiven and welcomed into heaven. There’s no way you can ever repay Christ for this incredible gift, nor does He expect you to. All you can do is tell the Lord how grateful you are, every chance you get.

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