From Grace to Gratitude to Generosity
Here we are. Ready or not. We’re in the holiday season. We celebrated Thanksgiving a few days ago and officially began the Christmas shopping season.
It’s not a secret; I LOVE Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. After all, what's not to love? It's a day of great food, family, and low stress (compared to some holidays). No presents to buy or fancy decorations. Not a zillion parties or events to attend. Instead, it's a day of turkey, yummy pie, and people you like (mostly).
It’s also my favorite holiday because it revolves around a few of my favorite words – grateful, blessings, contentment, and thankfulness.
Start With Grace
Grace is our starting point. Before adequately expressing gratitude and giving generously, we should focus on God's grace. But what is grace exactly? For some, it's a popular girl's name. Or it's another name for a prayer or blessing at mealtimes. Or it's used as a name for some churches.
For us, however, grace is defined as God's undeserved favor abundantly poured out on those who recognize their desperate need for Him. We can do nothing to deserve God's free gift of grace and the blessing of new life in Christ. But, just as it says, grace is a gift. No payment is required. He already paid the price on our behalf because of his unfathomable and unrelenting love for us. Only by realizing that we are undeserving of God’s great love and mercy can we become worthy recipients of his amazing grace.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)
Add Words of Gratitude
From accepting God’s grace, we can then move toward appropriately expressing gratitude toward God. The scriptures are full of words related to expressions of gratitude and thanks. We can see this in both the Old and New Testaments. For example:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95:2-3)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalms 136:1)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
And so many more! During the upcoming days between holidays, search for yourself in the scriptures, words like gratitude and thanksgiving. Then, write down in your journal what you find.
Express Your Gratitude
Take some time to pause and thank God for his abundant blessings. Christ gave himself on the cross so that all who trust him receive the gift of eternal life. A gift like this can hardly be ignored. Yet, he gives us so much more every day.
What is it you’re most thankful for in life? Once again, write down your thoughts. Even better, write down a few every day through New Year’s Day. Then, on the days you feel down and discouraged, go back to this list and remind yourself of the great blessings God has given you.
Moving on Toward Generosity
Now, onto Christmas. The Advent season recalls the story of the birth of our beloved Savior. However, the best part for me is how the music conveys this beautiful story. One of my favorite songs is “O Holy Night.” And who doesn’t love “Away in a Manger” and “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful?” So, what are your favorite Christmas songs?
The songs describe the best gift of all: The birth of Christ! The Apostle John describes God’s gift this way:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Give Words of Generosity
“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15)
This verse concludes Paul’s appeal by pointing to the benefits the Corinthians will reap from generous giving. Take a minute to read 2 Cor. 9:6-15. I’ll wait for you….. Find these words: giver, abound, generous, thanksgiving, generosity, grace, gift.
Paul’s heart was full of thanksgiving for the gifts generously given him by God.
He tells us we’re to give to others with a happy and generous heart. We should give because we can’t help but not to. Paul tells a story of a farmer who scattered his seed not sparingly but with more than enough. When we follow the farmer’s example in our giving, we generously help others in their need. Ultimately, our giving glorifies God as we and those we give to express our thanksgiving to God together as he has abundantly supplied our needs.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)
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Express Your Generosity
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of generosity by giving his life on our behalf. To emulate our Lord’s example, we must start by developing a heart of gratitude. This development will then lead us toward a life of generosity. Remember, a grateful life is a generous life. When you know what you have, you eagerly want to share it with others.
What gifts have you received that showed how someone gave with abundant generosity? How did you express your thanks? What generous gifts have you given others?
Offer Thank You Notes
Let’s not just think about generous hearts; let’s put them into action. So, sometime during the upcoming days after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, find tangible ways to express your gratitude generously.
First, spend time thanking God for his generous gifts to you. Then, write them down in your journal. Thank Him often and specifically.
Second, write a thank you note to someone who lives a life of generosity. Consider using this scripture in your note: “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1:4)
Third, with your family, discuss ways others have generously blessed you. Decide on at least one way to help someone in need during the upcoming holiday weeks. Consider giving anonymously, so the praise goes to the Giver of all good gifts, not you.
What other ideas do you have that show gratitude and can be expressed through generosity?
Combine Gratitude and Generosity
I considered calling this blog “Welcome to Thanksmas” or “The Season of Christgiving.” Do you think that would catch on? Probably not. We don’t have to combine the holiday words, but we can merge the ideas of gratitude and generosity into how we live daily. For example, we can fill ourselves with God’s Word, which leads us to worship through singing, praying, and reading Scripture. And then, beyond that, it leads us to other acts of worship, such as giving to others in abundance. All in all, we develop a life of generosity because we share many good gifts. Thanks to God for his abundant gifts!
DeAnna is a freelance writer and helps nonprofit organizations through her business, DLS: Communicator for Global Good. You are invited to receive her free, encouraging weekly email, A Good Word Wednesday, by subscribing at: https://dlscommglobal.substack.com/