Title: Living with Gratitude! /John 11:38-44
To live with gratitude! John 11:38-44
To live as Christians is to learn a way of life from our Master, Jesus Christ.
Jesus was always grateful.
In the miracle of five fish, when more than 500 people were starving, they gave thanks for the five barley loaves and two fish that a young child gave them. “Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and looked up to heaven and gave thanks” (Luke 9:16).
So what is gratitude?
1. Gratitude is an acknowledgment of God's past graces
It is an act of acknowledging and confessing the faithfulness of God who loved, provided, and intervened in the past, even in the difficult circumstances of today.
2. Gratitude is a confession of present grace for God's work
God works not only in the past, but also in the present.
Although the Israelites complained about food in the wilderness, God was always with them and gave them blessings.
When we get used to blessings, we no longer think of them as blessings.
However, our field of life is overflowing with reasons and conditions to be grateful for.
3. Gratitude is the anticipation of future grace for God's work
The Lord's gratitude was not confined to the past and present.
“Jesus said, “Did I not say that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” (verse 40).
We often say that we have to show God first to believe. But the Bible teaches that we must first believe in order to see.
Martha and Mary joined in faith before the words of Jesus, and eventually experienced the miracle of their brother's resurrection.
Jesus gave thanks as he had the last supper with his disciples right before the cross and just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane. The reason is that through the shedding of the Lord's blood and suffering, He saw how we must be saved and live a new life.
Looking at the salvation of our salvation, the Lord gave thanks for giving us the privilege of suffering and sacrifice even in the midst of intense suffering.
Therefore, even if the reality is dark, we must know and believe that those who believe in Jesus and are saved and become children of God have ample reasons to be thankful.