Blessed!
When was the last time someone said “thank you” to you? Those words tend to refresh us and keep us going. How much more when a “thank you” is accompanied by some kind of gift or practical display of appreciation? That’s even more amazing! These kinds of things mean so much to us because gratitude is not the attitude of the day in our society. We take so many things and people for granted.
Even worse, we take the blessings of God for granted. Psalm 116:12 poses this question: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?” In other words, what can I give back to God in proportion to all that He has given to me? An impossible task if there ever was one. But rather than dismiss this as mere sentiment, we ought to consider these words.
First, consider all the ways God has poured out blessings on our lives. We could start with practical blessings. Am I breathing? Gift from God. Do I have food? Gift from God. Do I have clean water to drink? Gift from God. Do I have clothing? Gift from God. Do I have a home? Gift from God. Am I able to walk? Gift from God. Am I able to talk or communicate? Gift from God. Am I able to find transportation to various locations I need to travel? Gift from God. Do I live in a place of relative peace and safety? Gift from God. Do I live in a community where people are generally kind and decent? I think you get the idea. Those are only a few practical blessings many of us enjoy.
Second, consider the spiritual blessings we have. We can be made right with God by faith in Jesus. That blessing is the greatest of all. By this, we enjoy all other spiritual blessings. Through Christ, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Through Christ we have access to God through prayer. Through Christ, joy is available to us even in suffering (Romans 5:3). Endurance and character are ours in Christ. We have a hope that does not disappoint. We are the recipients of God’s love (Romans 5:5-11). Ephesians 1 tells us we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! My attempt to list these blessings dwarfs the grandeur of God’s blessings.
If we are only scratching the surface of God’s blessings in our lives, it only follows that we should show appreciation in some way. In response to all that God has given, what should I give to Him? Paul answers that question for us in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” God deserves not some token of our appreciation every now and then but our whole lives. Each day that God gives to us as a gift, we give back to Him as an act of worship. God, this day is for you, help me to live for Your glory.