Thanksgiving: The Fuel of Outrageous Church

A broken marriage restored. A missing child found. A body wracking with pain miraculously healed.

These are all great reasons to thank God, but I want to focus on one simple command:

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT Yeah, that really nails it down, right? In all circumstances. You mean, when my car breaks down? Or when my kids roll their eyes and act ungrateful? You mean when it appears that my bills are mounting up and I simply cannot make ends meet? You mean when my animal can find shelter, but I can't? Yes. You should give thanks in every circumstance. Here's why: Your thanksgiving allows God to be glorified and gives God a work permit to move on your behalf in the earth. Your prayer is the seed but your thanksgiving is the water for that seed. I can't begin to express how many times I have thanked God in a difficult situation and God sent help in the form of extra income or a helping hand. You see, it was my attitude of gratitude that opened the floodgates of heaven. Job said it this way: You give and You take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. When you begin to grasp the fact that anything you have in this life is really because God decided to give it to you, it begins to produce in you a grateful heart. I have committed this month to giving myself away in THANKS to the Lord. Every day, I am writing in my personal journal something to thank God for. Even in the last few days, the more I thank God, the more He has given me to thank Him for. God is attracted to praise, not murmuring and complaining. I challenge you to join me in thanking God. You might find yourself with a contagious habit, a healthy habit diagnosed as "uncontrollabe thanks". As you walk in an attitude of gratitude, you will find that's its not that there isn't anything to be thankful for, but that you placed your attention only on what was wrong. Job said, "the thing I feared the most has come upon me." I would venture to say, "the things you believe in and give life to will come upon you." So, speak life! You want to have Outrageous Church? You must fuel yourself with the power of Thanksgiving. May you ignite those around you to give thanks in EVERYTHING! Blessings!