An Attitude of Gratitude

Giving Thanks

How many church services have you been to lately where there has been a call for testimonies of God’s goodness in our lives. I just read a tremendous post about the lack of testimonies in church. Where we used to live, we went to an African church and testimony was the order of every service. Five or six people would be queued up waiting to give testimony to God’s goodness in their lives. And do you know the very best thing about it all? It was for the little things of life.

One would praise God for provision – not for a car or something big, but for provision of daily bread and butter. One would praise God for a dispute being resolved; for a son or daughter doing well in an exam or even for them being honest and owning to something wrong. I know churches, and we all know them, where publicly expressed gratitude for such “minor” things would be scorned. Where expectation of such things is considered too mundane to be wasting valuable service time giving God any thanks  - even less giving Him any glory.

I give thanks to my friend Dr James Scott Jnr, from Parker, Texas for raising this. He wrote of our lack of public acknowledgement to God (http://extraordinarylivingbydrscotty.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/being-put-on-spot.html) :-

“That vast silence screams the need for serious discipleship among professing believers.
Not "mentorship."
Not hiding out in the open in a small group.
But real discipleship that teaches, equips, and challenges people for genuine spiritual development.
Some say they don't like being "put on the spot" with regard to their faith, so they remain quiet.

Really?

Here's the greater truth: your faith is put "on the spot" every day, wherever you are! Genuine faith is active, something that is lived, demonstrated and shared.

Your faith is put on the spot every day you go to work or school and find yourself in the midst of unbelievers who are happy to share their ungodly influences with you.
Your faith is put on the spot in every one of your relationships, whether intimate or passing acquaintance.
Your faith is put on the spot in your choice of what you do, how you go about doing it, and why you do what you do.
Your faith is your life, and it reveals not only what you really believe, but who you truly are.

When Jesus Christ becomes who He should be in your life, the challenge will not be to get you to speak up, the challenge will be to get you to occasionally shut up!”

Have you thanked God today – for anything at all ???