“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge” I Cor. 1:5a
You Have Everything You Need to Succeed
Thankfulness comes in recognizing all that God has provided for us. We have been given everything we need to succeed in whatever circumstance we are in. Sometime the challenge is to discover what God has given us in each unique situation. We can be so quick to assume we have been left alone, but this is never the case, but a way has been provided in each and every situation for us to thrive and grow successfully.
Meeting A Man Who Had Almost Been Killed
I remember being in a small town in Kenya eating at a restaurant. We were on the border between Kenya and Tanzania and there was a mosque there so there were many Moslems. When our server came to take our order the Lord showed me a picture of him being in a bad accident that almost took his life so I said to him, you recently almost died didn’t you? With wide eyes, he shook his head yes. I said, yes, the enemy tried to kill you, didn’t he? But, God spared your life because you have been given an opportunity to proclaim his name.
This man sat down with us and shared his story how he was in an accident and two men began beating him almost to death and only through a miracle he survived. He had only just come back to work at the restaurant over the last day when our team came to eat. We sat for several hours as I proclaimed his destiny and purpose to him and began teaching him the foundational elements for walking in Christ. He accepted Christ and before long we had an audience in that restaurant as we shared the gospel and saw several come to Christ.
Thankfulness is Recognizing What is Being Done in You
Paul states that we should thank God for the riches given us by our ability to share the spoken word and knowledge given us through the power of our own testimony. In other words, God has given us a great grace that Christ be formed in us as we testify we are given a greater impartation to deliver the spoken word (logos) with knowledge. No gift is withheld from us as he empowers us to live out fully our walk in Christ.
Thankfulness is about recognizing what is being done in you at the present time and it allows you to share exactly where you are and in doing so we are given more than we need to keep going. I so often hear people down play their progress as though they are waiting for something amazing to happen so they can testify to it, but Paul says the exact opposite. Thank God for the grace given to you where you are and what you are seeing for in doing this you are given the ability to add even more and nothing will be held back as you and I wait for the revealing of the Son.
Like a song our church used to sing when I was growing up that said “I’ve learned to say thank you, thank you makes room for more.” Don’t wait for something big to happen to say thank you, start saying thank you now! Recognize with every situation there is an opportunity for gratitude and gratitude opens the door to receive exactly what is needed and that should bring greater gratitude. Eliminate grumbling and complaining, it adds no good thing to your life. Separate yourself from those around you who foolishly are negative and walk in a spirit of self-pity you will find that spirit hanging on to you as well.
Ask God to Reveal What He Has Provided
While ministering to this man in Kenya, I challenged him to thank God for sparing his life and accept the call of God to step into his greater calling. The doors opened for others to come. I met two amazing women of God used to further his kingdom. They shared with us how God was using them to win people to Christ even in this challenging area. My team got a little concerned that if word got out I was making disciples in this Moslem town they could come looking for us. I had no fear, only thanks and praise for God who knew exactly how to protect us and how to plant us exactly where we needed to be to do the work given us.
You always will have exactly what you need to accomplish the task God has given you. Ask Him to reveal it. If you are in a trial, he provides peace and comfort to endure it with joy. Assume nothing and ask God for everything. Sometimes we’ve just chosen to do things our way. Repent from pride and be willing to change course if He requires it. Remember, He knows how to push the exact button where we need the most deliverance because He is always at work to perfect us. He will always give you exactly what you need!