It’s fascinating to watch on Facebook those things for which people are thankful. There has been a challenge of sorts which asks participants for a given number of days to list three things which exhibits this. It’s a wonderful thing when we stop and reflect on our gifts. But I can’t help wonder if most of the time we take our “gifts” for granted.
I believe our relationships are a very important gift, and this includes sibling to sibling; parent to child, friend to friend and even more than these; our relationship with our Savior. The Pastor commented recently that our relationship with God should begin with adoration in prayer before we bring Him our long list of “supplication.” It is much like the child who has left home, living on his/her own, and only contacts his parents, when he wants something, particularly money! When a relationship is based on needs or wants only, the relationship suffers.
It also makes me wonder about our motives when we ask for “good things" and then, what exactly constitutes “good things?”Are we focused on material things which will one day have no value or do we, with a true heart, ask for gifts of guidance, faith, friendship and kindness?
Solomon was a wise man and asked for wisdom to rule the people. Yet he wasn’t always wise and made mistakes. But because he didn’t ask for material things, he was blessed beyond measure by a God who loved him.
To look at our blessings, is to look at our life. Those who bless others are often blessed in return. It doesn’t have to be anything grand, but a deliberate, honest and sincere act which demonstrates the blessings we have received from God. It is God’s desire to bless us as he did Solomon with great things and those things which is good in His knowledge and His love for us.
That said, like my Facebook friends, I too, have much to be thankful for: good health, a wonderful husband, great kids, a nation where we have freedom of speech, religion, press, an amazing landscape to view and more. The Lord has blessed me as a person and He has blessed our nation, but our nation is changing, as is our world.
How can God bless that which is not good? How can we even expect him to bless the propagating of witchcraft and sorcery, which he explicitly forbids? How can he bless pornography and its industry when he proclaims it immoral and wrong? How can he bless those lifestyles that go directly against the man woman relationship he created?
We ask as a country, “God bless America." God loves this country and has blessed it greatly. Can we expect continued blessings when our citizens choose to go the direction opposite of God? It is up to us as Christian believers, to spread God’s word and His truths throughout the world, our nation, our cities and our communities. When we are doing this, it's a lot harder to take our "gifts" for granted.
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