Thanksgiving & Generosity: Part 1 – Giving out of Gratitude
Our gratitude, or thanksgiving, begins with our response to God’s goodness and grace. Because the very root of the word gratitude is ‘grace,’ it is important to acknowledge the grace we have received, and continue to receive, from God. If we are to truly understand what it means to be thankful, we must acknowledge the great grace He has given to us in abundance. All that we have is because of our loving Father, including our reconciliation to God through the work of Christ Jesus. Ideally, gratitude prepares the way for us to give sacrificially and generously, as cheerful givers who sow and reap bountifully. The Apostle Paul was deeply moved when the Churches of Macedonia were so grateful for their salvation and the truth that they received through his preaching, that they gave generously to the needy Christians in Jerusalem.