I pray you all have enjoyed the services, podcast, audio devotionals, etc.. I sure do miss seeing you all in church, it’s always a weird feeling pulling into an empty parking lot on Sunday. With that being said, the Lord has been so abundantly gracious to Cornerstone during this season and we have much to be thankful for. I have been thinking about gratitude recently—specifically the gratitude we see reflected in the life of the apostle Paul. Lately, I have felt the temptation to fall into the snare of self-pity. I wonder if you too have been struggling with this. It’s so easy for us to see our circumstances only in terms of what we don’t have. Ironically, when our circumstances change for the better we immediately find something else to complain about. This cycle of self-pity is a dangerous trap and often an expression of our unbelief. As this temptation has been on my mind, I’ve found great encouragement from the apostle Paul. I keep going back to the book of Philippians and marvel at Paul’s joyous spirit despite circumstances that are far worse than ours—yes even worse than COVID-19.
When we really boil it down, the root of Paul’s joy was gratitude! Paul wasn’t focused on his situation in prison, he was focused on everything he did have. Thankfulness is a choice. God has given us life, he’s given us people who care for us, he’s given us himself in his Word, he’s given us his Son, and he’s given us an eternity in the presence of his glory to look forward to. God has given us more than enough for an eternity of thankfulness! If you are struggling with the temptation to fall into the snare of self-pity, choose thankfulness! Go back to the gospel, go back to the character of God, go back to his Word. Open your eyes and realize even when things are seemingly hard, the fullness of joy in Christ is just around the corner if we would only avail ourselves to it. Remember the imperative we receive from Paul in Philippians 4: “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Brothers & Sister, the call to thankfulness is not an option, it is an imperative. Choosing gratitude for the love of God revealed to us in the gospel of Christ is an expression of obedience. Isn’t it amazing that God, in his infinite wisdom, lovingly gives us commands for our own joy and satisfaction in him?