GIVING THANKS WITH JOY!

Have you been around Christians that brag about these things?

·        How much they give up for God

·        How much they do for God

·        How much they have sacrificed for others

·        How much they suffered for God

They seem to believe that God is only happy if they are miserable!

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

This may shock you but God is not against you being happy.

Many of the rules and sacrifices God required were not given to make people miserable but to help them find true happiness.

I like Pizza but if I eat Pizza at 11:00 PM at night it is not a good thing for me.

So in giving up Pizza at 11:00 at night am I giving up happiness?

No- I am giving up a temporary satisfaction for what will really make me happier and feel better in the long term.

Here are a couple of reasons to give thanks with joy.

1. YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL BECAUSE YOU ARE FORGIVEN AND YOUR SINS ARE FORGOTTEN

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! ²Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Psalm 32:1-2 NLT

I believe one of the reasons we are unhappy and unthankful is because we get depressed over our past sins and failures. We often live in guilt and misery over something that we cannot change nor do anything about.

If God has chosen to not think about your sin why don’t you quit thinking about it?

2. YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL BECAUSE OF YOUR FUTURE

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Sometimes the future scares the crap out of me!

·        What will happen to my money?

·        What will happen to my health?

·        What will happen to our country?

·        What will happen to our world?

·        What will happen to my kids?

How many times have I worried about how horrible the future was going to be?

How many sermons have you heard where the message is you better be afraid because this world is going to Hell in a hand basket and there is nothing you or I or God can do about it?

·        Is God in control or not?

·        Is God’s purpose going to be accomplished or not?

·        Is Satan more powerful than God?

I believe tomorrow can be better than today because the Bible teaches-

Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b KJV

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, Romans 5:20b NIV

We can choose faith in God or we can choose fear for the future but we cannot choose both.

·        Jesus is coming back

·        God is greater than Satan

·        Grace can overpower sin

·        Satan will be cast into Hell forever

·        I have a future home in heaven forever

·        Everything that does happen will happen according to God’s plan

3. YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

Our God is Faithful and He does not give up on us!

This means that even though I might not feel like I am making much progress God is still doing something inside of me to make me more like Jesus Christ.

Do not ignore the areas in which you need to improve but also remember where you have been changed by the grace of God!

·        Maybe you have blown it but have you also done some good things?

·        Maybe you did lose your temper but have you also shown kindness?

·        Maybe you were rude but have you also shown grace?

If you are saved-

·        God will never stop

·        He will never give up

·        He will never stop

·        He will never quit until you are like Christ and for that we should give thanks with Joy!