As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I want us to think about giving God more glory. More thanksgiving is the key to God receiving more and more glory.
The Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthian church:
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. (2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT)
What does Paul mean that all of this is for your benefit? The passage starts in verse seven, saying, “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” (CSB)
Then Paul continues, “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9 CSB)
What does all this mean? It means that even though we are afflicted in every way we are not shaken. We are solid with our faith and trust in God. Because we have God’s power dwelling in us, we overcome every affliction.
Paul says, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God’s power dwells in us fragile, imperfect clay jars. This is so others observing what we do can recognize the power is from God and not our human abilities.
Here are other articles I wrote that will help you when you are experiencing tasts and trials:
You’re a Bold Believer – Made to Win Todays Battle
Powerful Prayers to Transform You Into Having a Bold Life View
Unshaken in Affliction Gives God Glory
All of this is for our benefit. Whether you recognize it, when you declared yourself as a Christian, you became a city on a hill. You can no longer hide.
People are watching to see how you handle affliction.
Everyone faces affliction in life. If they don’t have Christ as their anchor, affliction will shake them to the core. With Christ as our anchor, we remain steady amid all afflictions.
When common afflictions such as a natural disaster, recession, loss of a job, or a death in the family strike, people are watching to see what your response will be.
They want to know if your faith in God is real or if it is just words you speak. Are you shaken like others, or do you remain steady with your hope steadfast on the Solid Rock, Jesus?
As you remain solid during affliction, all the glory goes to God. Why? Because people realize you are just as weak as them, except for the power of God that dwells in you.
This power shining out from you, the weak, imperfect clay jar, is a witness to the difference Jesus makes in the life of a believer.
God’s Grace Reaches More People
When people see you standing strong against affliction, they desire the power you have. This opens the door for you to share the gospel.
This is what Paul is talking about in Second Corinthians 4:7-15. God’s great power shines through us as clay jars for the world to see. As God’s power becomes evident in our lives, it compels others to make Jesus the Lord of their life.
As more people become Christians, God’s grace extends to more people. This causes more thanksgiving, causing God to receive more and more glory.
More Thanksgiving From Believers
To have more people give more thanksgiving, it must begin with Christians. We need to lead by example in showing fellow Christians how to live a life of thanksgiving.
Therefore, we must educate ourselves concerning thanksgiving. What does God tell us about thanksgiving?
Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 CSB)
Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20 CSB)
And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 CSB)
God wants us to be thankful in every circumstance, good and bad. “But,” you say. “Why should I thank God for bad circumstances?”
We don’t thank God FOR the bad circumstances; we thank God IN the bad circumstances. Why do we thank God IN the circumstances? Because we know He always provides a way to overcome circumstances. We may not see it yet, but we thank Him because we know the way to overcome is there.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19 NKJV)
It is the job of those that are living a thankful life to educate and lead fellow Christians into a life of thankfulness. When we increase the thanksgiving, we increase the glory given to God.
We need to openly show our thanksgiving to those around us, especially in bad circumstances. Share freely why you are thankful.
This will lead fellow Christians to do the same. Do not be afraid to teach others what the Bible says about thanksgiving.
Increase God’s Grace In the World Around You
How do we increase God’s grace in the world? We do it through sharing the Gospel. More Christians mean God’s grace increases and there will be great thanksgiving, giving God more and more glory.
This is exactly what Paul was talking about in our opening scripture. We can’t ignore the sharing of the Gospel.
God filled us with His Holy Spirit so we can be powerful witnesses. Your witness is how you live your life.
Again, I will say, people are watching you. When you walk through difficult times in complete trust and thanksgiving to God, it impacts those around you.
Therefore, they will desire what you have. They want your same peace and confidence. This will give you the opportunity to evangelize, which is sharing the Gospel.
It is a two-step process. Live a life that is a witness and then evangelize by sharing the Gospel.
As we evangelize, more people become Christians, therefore increasing God’s grace. When this grace reaches more people, there is great thanksgiving and God will receive more and more glory.
If you would like to learn more about witnessing and evangelism, here are some articles I wrote on those subjects:
Salvation Is The Family Business For A Child Of God
Make a Difference with Your Thanksgiving
This year, ask God how to make a difference with your celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday and with your thanks to God.
Maybe you can share your Thanksgiving holiday with a family in need. Or maybe buy another family everything they need for their holiday celebration.
Spend time in prayer talking with God and find what He desires for you to do to share your thanksgiving.
Also, don’t be shy in your thanks to God. Openly thank God when you are around others. Let them see your thankfulness as a witness to your relationship with the Eternal Father.
It is in this way God’s grace will reach more and more people and there will be great thanksgiving.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and share your blessings with another that is in need.
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