The Power of Gratitude: Let Your Light Shine with Thankfulness
Embracing gratitude is a powerful way to let your light shine in the world. Through thankfulness, we honor God's blessings and influence others positively. Unthankfulness, on the other hand, is a common sin that can lead to ingratitude and entitlement. Let us cultivate a spirit of gratitude to experience the peace of God and impact those around us.
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Letting Your Light Shine By Being Thankful 1
Matthew 5:14-16 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Colossians 3:15-17 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Introduction Our text, Colossians 3:17, commands and demands Christians to be thankful We have every reason to be thankful to God Acts 17:25; James 1:17 Being thankful is right and we ought to be grateful to God - 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalms 92:1 Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:17; 4:2 Being thankful is good and not only right,but It holds the promises of God s favor and It has an influence on others
The Sin of Unthankfulness Ingratitude is one of the most common sins we need to be aware of Sometimes the simplest duties seem to be the hardest to fulfill - Luke 17:11-18 What if God took back every blessing for which we are not properly grateful? What would we have left? Cf. James 1:17
The Sin of Unthankfulness Is there any greater sin than Ingratitude? God has never looked lightly on a complainer Numbers 21:5-6 Ingratitude can be the result of not remembering what it is was like to be without There is a link between prosperity and unthankfulness - Deuteronomy 8:1-3, 7-18 As an example, a sure way to spoil a child is to give them everything they want and they will develop an entitlement attitude
The Sin of Unthankfulness Nothing is more painful than ingratitude Especially within a family! What about God s family? - John 1:11 Ingratitude is not only sinful but it is the root of many other sins and the first step toward rejecting God - it indicates a depraved mind! Romans 1:21-23 We need to literally count our blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done
The Need To Express Our Thankfulness Thanksgiving to God is the following: The fruit of our lips and a sacrifice of praise to God - Hebrews 13:15 This is to be done continually - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Unexpressed gratitude = ingratitude God is so gracious to each of us and that grace will be in vain if we do not properly: Receive it Appreciate it Express our gratitude for it 1 Corinthians 15:10
The Effect of Thankfulness Being thankful is one way we can let our light shine This can have a powerful influence on those around us Expressing our gratitudecan mean Expressing our gratitude to God for His blessing Expressing our gratitude to others for their kindness
The Effect of Thankfulness It can also mean reflecting to others our thanks for God s blessings - Matt. 5:19; Psa. 1o5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9 We can set a good example by giving thanks before meals in the presence of others - Acts 27:35 It can show how being thankful gives peace of mind and how gratitude for what is right and diminishes worry about the trails of life - Philippians 4:6-7 We can draw others to God by showing our thanks for being a Christian and thankfulness for brethren 1 John 1:3; Philippians 1:3 And we can draw others to God by giving thanks for our spiritual blessing in Christ - Ephesians 1:3
CONCLUSION Genuine thankfulness is such a potent influence for good because it is so rare and unexpected Like Daniel, let your light shine by being openly grateful to our God for His grace Daniel 6:10 When we do that and also make a habit of expressing gratitude to others for what they do, we will be amazed at the results
Let Your Light Shine By Being Thankful! 12
What Shall We Do? Acts 2:38 Alien sinners must Hear the Gospel Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6 Believe it John 8:24 Repent of sin in your life Acts 17:30 Confess that Christ is God s Son Matthew 10:34 Be baptized to wash away your sins Acts 2:38 An erring child of God must Repent and Pray for Forgiveness 1 John 1:7-9 Endure Trials & be faithful unto death Revelation 2:10
