Living a Life of Thanksgiving
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Read Luke 17. How can we live a life that is truly thankful?
First, we must consider the depth of our greatest blessing. The leper’s story of miraculous healing in Luke 17 is remarkable—to see such a disease immediately eradicated in someone’s life is nothing short of awesome. Yet when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are healed even more completely! We were eternally separated from God by our sins, but Jesus has made forgiveness possible through His obedient sacrifice on the cross.
Second, we need to make thanksgiving a priority. The leper didn’t wait to return to Jesus when it was convenient or after he had visited the priests. He went immediately to Jesus. The priests had not healed the leper, and he knew it. He returned to the only one worthy of his worship and thanksgiving.
Third, thanksgiving should be offered from the outpouring of our hearts. There was intensity in the leper’s worship because he was aware of his inability to secure for himself the healing he needed. How much more wonderful is the eternal healing for those who follow Christ? Let our thanksgiving be an enthusiastic celebration of Christ, who healed our direst disease when we could not.
Finally, we must be consistent in our thanksgiving. The more intentional we are about offering thanks to God, the easier it becomes to see His blessings in our lives. That is why we are repeatedly commanded in the Bible to be thankful in all things. No one can bless us like our heavenly Father. Let us be diligent in thanking Him for His grace and goodness.
Prayer: God, the greatest blessing I have ever and will ever receive is Your forgiveness. Thank You, Jesus. Help me to always give You the praise You are due. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon What Does God Think of Thanksgiving?: LISTEN NOW
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