Thankfulness — The Great Antidote

Good morning, Church!

I want to begin by asking a question that every believer must wrestle with: What is the antidote for pride?

Pride is one of the most dangerous and deceptive sins in the Christian life. It hides in the corners of our hearts, whispering lies like, "You don’t need help. You’ve got this. You deserve more. You’re in control."

It inflates our sense of self and distorts our relationship with God and others.

But today, I want to share with you a powerful antidote for pride — one that is both simple and profound: thankfulness. Not only is thankfulness the cure for pride, but it is also the very essence of true worship.

When we understand this, we see that thankfulness has the power to reorient our hearts, humble our spirits, and turn our worship into something that pleases God. In fact, thankfulness is central to worship because it shifts our focus from ourselves to God, from entitlement to gratitude, and from self-sufficiency to dependence.

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ILLUSTRATION: The Proud Lion

The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom. One day he decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he by-passed the smaller animals and went straight to the bear.

"Who is the king of the jungle?" the lion asked. The bear replied, "Why you are, of course" The lion gave a mighty roar of approval.

Next, he asked the tiger, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The tiger quickly responded, "Everyone knows that you are, mighty lion "

Next on the list was the elephant. The lion faced the elephant and addressed his question, "Who is the king of the jungle?"

The elephant immediately grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air five or six times and slammed him into a tree. Then he pounded him onto the ground several times, dunked him under water in a nearby lake, and finally dumped him out on the shore.

The lion--beaten, bruised, and battered--struggled to his feet. He looked at the elephant through sad and bloody eyes and said, "Look, just because you don’t know the answer is no reason for to get mean about it!"

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Let’s explore today how thankfulness is both the antidote for pride and the essence of worship — how it humbles us and draws us closer to God.

We’re going to look at 4 points this morning:

I. Pride Blinds Us

II. Pride Leads to Discontentment

III. Pride Distracts Us

IV. Thankfulness Breaks the Grip of Pride

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ILLUSTRATION: The Farmer and the Storm

Thomas was a successful farmer who had worked tirelessly to build up his farm. The fields were large, the crops abundant, and the barns full. Over the years, he grew confident in his abilities, relying more and more on his own strength. He often boasted, "I made this farm all that is – it’s all because of my hard work."

One summer day, a powerful storm arrived. The storm was far worse than he expected. The rain poured, the winds howled, and by morning, Thomas’s farm was devastated. His fields were flooded, his crops ruined, and parts of his barn collapsed. The damage was overwhelming.

For days, Thomas worked to restore his farm, but he soon realized that no amount of effort could have prepared him for this.

One of his neighbors came by to help. “We can’t control the storms, Thomas,” he said. “It’s good to remember that we’re not in charge of everything.“

After the storm, Thomas didn’t just rebuild his farm; he rebuilt his perspective on life. He learned humility, recognizing that he couldn’t do it all on his own, and he began to appreciate the help of others and the grace of God.

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I. Pride Blinds Us to Our Dependence on God

Pride is rooted in self-reliance. When we are prideful, we believe that everything we have and everything we are comes from our own efforts, abilities, or accomplishments. We forget that every good thing in our lives is a gift from God.

In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, Moses warns the Israelites:

"Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth."

A prideful person forgets God. We think we’re self-sufficient and that we deserve what we have. But thankfulness puts life into focus. It reminds us that all we have is a gift from God — "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).

When we are thankful, we see that our talents, our health, our families, and our very lives are gifts from God. This recognition brings perspective to our lives and it humbles us, expelling pride and opening our hearts to worship.