“Consider what an ornament a thankful frame of heart is to religion.”
–William Gurnall
The Thanksgiving and Christmas Seasons are a special time of year. It is a time for family dinners. Turkey is consumed. Relatives you may not often see, gather around the table. You may visit with that crazy uncle from your mother’s side of the family. If you can’t identify the ‘crazy uncle’ in your family than you may need to do a little self-examination. All I’m saying is every family has a crazy relative, and if you can’t readily identify them then you know who it is…
This time of year, is also a time of gifts. What is a simple gift you can share with family, friends, and possibly, co-workers? Share a short word of thanksgiving for how God has blessed you and yours throughout the year. You don’t have to drag them down the Romans Road or do a full-blown Gospel presentation, you can simply share how God has been faithful to you over the course of the year. Such a brief word of thanksgiving may deeply impact someone who, perhaps, even wonders if God cares or even knows of their existence. William Gurnall put it this way: “Consider what an ornament a thankful frame of heart is to religion. This commends God to the unbelieving world, who know little more of him than what your lives preach to them; they read religion in that character you print it, and make their report of God and his ways, as they see you behave yourselves in the world. If you walk disconsolately [in a dejected manner], or murmur at divine providence, how can they believe that the ways of God are so pleasant as they are said to be?” (italics mine) (William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor, 742.)
God’s ways are pleasant. I am confident that the members of The Road have seen God’s faithfulness, provision, and blessing throughout 2018. Take a moment and reflect on God’s faithful activity in your life and then you will be ready to share that blessing with someone else. Have a blessed week and we will see you on Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale