Multiplied thanksgivings to God
To be honest, I’m not getting a lot stuff done today because I feel overwhelmed by God’s kindness to me. I just keep walking around the house in a daze mumbling “God, you are so kind…” over and over. I think I may have finally completely lost it. But I believe it brings a smile to God’s face.
Today I have been contemplating how God has taken care of me over the past couple of years. I am humbled by God’s kindness in my life and so very grateful.
Behind the scenes I have been fixing up the house I bought a little over two years ago. I am almost finished with the interior space and looking to next spring to have the exterior repainted and work done on the back yard. It has been a lot of work and along the way I have had to juggle the finances, the time, and the energy it takes to get this house project finished. I’ve had many friends who have helped along the way and am so grateful for that. This morning I received a call from some friends of mine and they surprised me by telling me they are going to pay to have two major projects completed on the house. This completely blew me out of the water. I had no idea they were even thinking about doing something. I can hardly process how much this help means to me, which explains why I am wandering around the house with a blank look on my face.
I am so grateful for their kindness to me. But it also naturally turned my heart in thanksgiving to God for his kindness to me in this way. I have been overwhelmed by God’s kindness and love to me. And today has largely been a day of thanksgiving to God for the way he has blessed my life.
In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he wrote “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God” (2 Corinthians 9:10-13, ESV).
Did you catch what happens when we are generous to others? Not only are we “enriched in every way” for all our generosity, but the result is thanksgiving to God. The end result is that God is glorified again. When we love our neighbor’s as ourselves, not only are we blessed in the process but the end result is multiplied thanksgivings to God. When we are the beneficiaries of the love of others, not only are we blessed from the gift, but God is blessed when we turn our praise to him. When we live out our love for others so many great things happen. But the greatest is that God is glorified by the thanksgivings that rise up to him from those who have been blessed.
So be an instrument of blessing to God today. Find ways to show love to others. Be the one who loves radically. The result with be multiplied thanksgivings to God and that is the greatest joy of all.
This morning I was on the receiving end of that kind of love and that’s why I’m not getting a lot of stuff done today. But I don’t think God minds. In fact, I kind of think he likes it.
It’s a day of multiplied thanksgivings to God.