GBC Community Update: How To Be Truly Thankful – Lower Your Expectations

Good afternoon. The snow this week has been a reminder winter is coming, but that also means Christmas too!  I can’t wait!
Thanks to all those who came out Saturday for our work day.  We got a lot done and it was great to do this together. Thanks also to Bob for organizing it.
 
 
Royal City Mission Food Drive coming!
If you were part of the GBC family two years ago you’ll remember the ‘mountain of food’ we collected to bless the Royal City Mission and the work they do in this community.  We’re doing it again this year!  Our Care Ministry is organizing another Christmas food drive to support Royal City Mission, one of the local ministries we support as a church.
More details on the ‘when’ and ‘what’ will come next week.
 
 
Thought for the Day:  How To Be Truly Thankful – Lower Your Expectations
Last week I started to share some thoughts on being thankful.  Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us of this: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven… A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” 
So what does this have to do with being thankful?  While some may say “I don’t deserve this good life that I have” in reality more struggle with God and what they don’t have. Even those who follow him can fall into this. Many ask God for something greater.  Some ask for a marriage free from conflict or children who are obedient to their parents and teachers.  Others ask for a life free from disease and pain.  There is a lot of discontent and that makes it hard to be thankful. 
 
The issue is many people believe they deserve more and so find it hard to be thankful since they’re focused on what they don’t have.  Isn’t that pride?
 
Here’s the problem- pride can lead to the very death of our joy and thankfulness. It kills many good things in our life.  When we look in the Bible at the fall of mankind, it’s been said that pride was Adam and Eve’s first sin. When the devil suggested to Eve that God was holding out on her, both she and Adam latched on to that. Their pride was winning the battle, and they were no longer thankful for the Garden, only ungrateful for what they didn’t have. That was the day that Adam and Eve’s joy was lost.
 
So how do we deal with this in our lives?
 
We lower our expectations.  We live in a society that tells us we ‘deserve’ this. Generally this is by advertisers and companies wanting to sell us something.  Humility leads to thankfulness and so too be thankful for the things we do have.  Paul said this in 1 Timothy 5: give thanks in all circumstances. So the next time you feel like grumbling, take the time to name some things you are thankful for and then thank God.  It’ll change your whole outlook!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris