There are so many things for which to be grateful! Great things are everywhere. For those reading this in the United States, the length of blessings far outweighs things for which we should complain. I was thinking through a list this week which includes family, friends, church, opportunities everywhere, and more.
But there is something much greater than this. If you follow Christ, begin your list with some verbs related to Christ.
Our Relationship with God
The Apostle Paul started the Book of Ephesians with an Anthem of Praise. In this one sentence, he lavishes praise on God for giving us the opportunity to have a relationship with Him through Jesus, known as salvation. Check out his list of things for which he is grateful:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14)
Paul included everything related to our salvation.
This will take time for you to consider…
Look at this list of verbs and and the summary statement.
In Christ
…blessed, chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, chosen as an inheritance, sealed
God is active!
God the Father is the planner and initiator of redemption.
God the Son is the central figure of the plan, our redemption.
God the Holy Spirit is the One who seals our future as the Guarantor.
You were offered the opportunity to believe after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel.
As you begin this new day and week, consider what you truly have to be thankful for – starting point for the Christian – your salvation.
image Credit Priscilla Du Preez
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
