Thankful Living
2 Corinthians 9:11-15
Aren’t you glad we have annual Thanksgiving celebrations? For one thing you can get all the great food you would ever want. You can also watch all the football you would ever want to see. It is also a time to get together with your family and relatives and enjoy the fellowship with each another.
We need times of Thanksgiving to give balance to all the times we face criticism and complaints.
Rev. John Haiggai in his book, “How to Win Over Worry,” describes how people are who need to experience thankful living. Without experiencing a life of thanksgiving and praise people walk around with a face long enough to eat ice cream out of a pipe. The thankless person shuffles into church dragging his lower lip behind him. He slides into a pew chair and flips his lower lip over the back of the chair in front of him. He looks as happy as the skeleton and cross-bones on a bottle of poison.
The Apostle Paul says, “Tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers.” (Philippians 4:6b - Living Bible)
People who fail to live a thankful life continually look on the negative side of life.
I read about a pastor who knew a lady 29 years of age who maintained an expression on her face that looked like the advance agent of a coming tornado. She enjoyed her poor health. Her house looked like a tornado at him and her general appearance looked like an accident going somewhere to happen. She would come out of the front door of the church following the church service and shake the pastor’s hand. Her hand would be so limp the Pastor would feel like handing it back to her. The Pastor would greet her, “How are you?” She would tell him and give him a physical organ recital as she spewed out her tales of woe. The Pastor said he learned not to ask that question. In stead he determined to help her.
When he shook her hand, he really shook it. He gave her his finest smile and said, “Wow, you look so much better today. You must be feeling better.” Actually within a few months she actually did look better.
From Scripture we learn the importance of living a thankful, generous life?
I. Thankful Living results in Giving Praise and Thanks to God.
Scripture teaches that when you give generously to help others your giving results in people giving thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11 “Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.”
Because of a great famine in Jerusalem, Paul was taking an offering for the needs of the Christians in the city. Paul stated that when he took their generous offering to Jerusalem the Christians there would break out in thankfulness to God for supplying their needs. The generous giving by Christians in Corinth would be an answer to prayer of the church in Jerusalem.
Have you noticed how your giving to help meet the needs of someone else not only gave them a blessing but it also resulted in your being blessed. In the book of Acts the Apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
People who fail to live thankful lives choose to be miserable. The word miserable comes from the word “miser.” Misers are miserable people.
Why do you suppose the Bible has so much to say about living a generous life? The Bible has 272 words for “believe,” and references to prayer are listed 371 times, love is listed 714 times, but giving has 2,161 references in the Bible.
The Bible has a lot to say about how we use wealth and money because selfish living results in a person having no respect or appreciation for God and His blessings.
Jesus illustrated this truth in the parable he told in Luke 12:16-21. NLT
What was the primary problem of the rich man? Ambition wasn’t his problem. There’s nothing wrong with ambition. It’s not a sin to build bigger and better things. The sin is when God is forgotten and not included in the building plans.
The primary problem was the man’s greed and selfishness. Note how often he uses “I” and “My.” “I will build…I will store all my grain, and my goods.”
It is greed that causes us to spend beyond our means. Larry Burkett, a Christian financial expert, says that 95% of the couples he has counseled were in financial trouble due to overspending by ….. Do you say the wife or husband? 95% of the couples were in financial trouble because of the husbands overspending. Women tend to splurge on things like clothes and food. Men tend to splurge on things like new cars, boats, and airplanes.
Why do you suppose the storage business is in such demand today? Overspending!
Greed can cause people lots of trouble. Police in Wheeling, Illinois, accused a Wal-Mart cashier of buying merchandise at the store using credit card numbers she copied from customers. Investigators admitted the cashier had made their job easier. She identified herself on the fraudulent receipts to make sure she got her employee discount. (Readers Digest 2000)
The rich man in the story told by Jesus, to illustrate greed, only thought of himself. He had no thought of the consequences of his greed. He didn’t realize greed was shriveling up his soul. His only thought was building his own personal empire. He didn’t care if he had no time for his family. His goal was to climb the ladder of financial success, but the problem was when he got to the top his loved ones weren’t with him.
II. Thankful living honors God in all a person possesses.
Scriptures teach that God is owner of everything. God owns and we manage. Our desire should be to be careful managers because God has created us and given us many blessings. We should not be surprised when God gives us His special blessings.
A man with a weak heart unexpectedly inherited two million dollars. His wife received the news first, but was afraid to tell her husband for fear he’d have a heart attack. She called her pastor and asked him to come over and break the good news as gently as possible to her husband.
The preacher went to the sick man’s home and pulled up a chair next to newly wealthy man. He decided to inform the man slowly about his good fortune. He said to the man, “Let me ask you a hypothetical question: “Suppose you inherited two million dollars, what would you do with it?”
The gentlemen thought for a minute and said, “The first thing I’d do is give one million dollars to the church.” And the pastor died of a heart attack!
Thankful, generous living honors God as a good steward of all God provides.
A thankful person also lives in the light of eternity. Matthew 6:19-21, NLT
Your heart follows where you invest your money. When you invest heavily in the stock market, where does your heart take you day after day? You turn to stock quotations in the news paper or on line. When you invest in your children’s college education you regularly check to see what their grades are.
The Bible teaches that spiritual blessings come in proportion to what a person gives. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. A farmer who sows little amounts of seeds will get a small harvest. What you sow you reap. Jesus made the promise to all who give to Kingdom ministries.
Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Generous living results in people giving thanksgiving to God.
Generous living honors God in all a person possesses.
III. Thanksful Living results in the needs of people being met.
2 Corinthians 9:12 “So two good things will happen-the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God.”
The Apostle Paul is saying that when people’s needs are met – physical, spiritual, social and intellectual needs are met, they joyfully express thanksgiving to God.
Luke tells about ten lepers that called out to Jesus as he entered a village located between Galilee and Samaria. They cried out: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 12:13) Jesus responded to their request by calling back, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, their leprosy disappeared.”
Can you imagine the scene? The ten lepers walk slowly to make their way to see the Priest. As they are walking along the road, their ragged robes are dragging in the dirt. Bystanders run and give them space as they walk by. One of the lepers said to another leper. “Hiram, look at your nose!” “What do you mean, my nose, says Hiram increasing his walk along the road?” “You’ve got one!”
They all come to a screeching halt and look at each other. Their mouths drop wide open. They can’t believe what they see. Their legs and arms are no longer disfigured. They are healed. They are filled with joy and jump around hugging each other. They can’t wait to find their families and tell them the good news. Now they can run instead of walk along the road.
Only one whirls, turns around and runs back to Jesus with new feet. He falls and kisses the feet of Jesus. He shouted, “Praise God, I’m healed. Thank you Jesus. Thank you. Thank you.” The healed leper was a Samaritan.
Jesus says, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” Luke 12:17
The other nine I’m sure were thankful, but they may have been Jews and felt entitled to being healed. The Samaritan was the odd man out and was surprised that he was healed. Not being a Jew he didn’t feel any entitlement. He was thankful and expressed his thanks to Jesus the Master Physician.
When was the last time you counted your blessings and thanked God for giving you so many blessings?
As a thankful person you can serve as a catalyst to make a positive impact on people around you.
Years ago there was an- accident on the Washington subway system in which a crowded train stalled on an underground track. Harried passengers were beside themselves. No one had been talking to one another, but now they burst into mutual, frenzied spurts of accusations against the driver, as if the train was under his control. They blamed the Metro authorities, the federal government, anyone and everyone they could think of for their hours of delay.
Somewhere in the midst of all this turmoil, a woman with a number of bulky shopping bags dropped a new bottle of perfume, and it shattered. Within a few minutes, the pure, luxurious fragrance had wafted the length of the crowded car.
It was as if the fresh smell released people from a dark spell. They sniffed, smiled, and relaxed, laughing with each other. The fragrance brought about a transformation of the atmosphere.
2 Corinthians 2:15 - “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
As Christ followers we have the opportunity in life’s crowded moments when people feel stuck and overwhelmed, to be the fragrance of Christ.
Thankful, generous living results in meeting the needs of people around us and giving them a special blessing.
IV. Thanksful Living Glorifies God.
2 Corinthians 9:13 “You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” (NLT)
Generous living glorifies God. Generous living proves your faithfulness to God. Generous living helps you live a life of praise. Psalm 34:1,3 – “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. Come let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”
Reading and reflecting on the book of Psalms is a great way to praise the Lord. One of the best ways to reverse spiritual dryness, discouragement, or negative attitudes is to begin to praise the Lord.
In Psalm 100 the Psalmist sings out in adoration and praise:
Know that the Lord, He is God.
God made us.
We are His people.
The Lord is good.
Hi s mercy is everlasting.
His truth endures to all generations.
If you make the reading of the Psalms a regular habit you will face every day with a joyful heart. Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
An unknown author has penned:
Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her—she seemed so happy, and how I wished I were so fair;
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; She had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet – the world is mine.
And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm;
He seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; O he said, “It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find;”
He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.” And then I saw that he was blind.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.
Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; He stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?” He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I shine, I have two ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
This Thanksgiving let’s commit to living a generous life – a life of giving thanks to the Lord, a life that honors God in all our possessions, and a life helping to meet the needs of others and a life that glorifies God by developing a habit of giving praise on a daily basis.
Thankful living results in our giving praise and thanksgiving to God.
Thankful living honors God in all our possessions.
Thankful living results in the needs of people being met.
Thankful living glorifies God.
Hymn #562 “Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart.”
