Truly Alive!

When I was in college, I lived with 10 other Christians in a large house for a semester. We ate together, prayed together, listened to teachings together, and helped run Bible classes. Richard, the leader,  was a man who really understood the importance of two spiritual cornerstones: thankfulness and peacefulness. By his example, he set a tone and created an atmosphere that motivated me to dive into a lifestyle of thankfulness.

I memorized a verse during that semester that became a big part of my spiritual foundation for the rest of my life: Let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be thankful (Colossians 3:15, KJV). I had never realized I could make a CHOICE to be thankful. It was a whole new world! Thankfulness enabled me to become AWARE of God’s blessings, as opposed to oblivious to them. Previously, I might “accidentally” stumble upon being thankful at times, but it was hit-or-miss; dependent on circumstances.

A simple meal, a meaningful conversation, a walk in the fresh air weren’t taken for granted anymore. I learned how to SAVOR the good and started to realize everything good is a gift from God! That engendered a cleansing humility that purified my soul. It enabled me to be satisfied when life is good or when it was bad.

But thankfulness doesn’t lead to passivity or complacency. Even though it gives peace beyond anything we’ve ever experienced, it also ENRRGIZES! It MOTIVATES us to live the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23) — to engage in making the world a better place, more like heaven.

In the more than 40 years since that time in college, thankfulness has been the spiritual bedrock that’s helped me through some terrible times and many, many fantastic ones. The number one thing I’ve been thankful for: God loves me — and everyone — bigger than we can ever comprehend!

Thought for the day: Thankfulness isn’t just a trite, feel-good word. It’s POWERFUL! It transforms us from being oblivious to God’s gifts to being joyfully aware of them. It makes us truly ALIVE!