The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (30 page)

Jesus had much to say about religion, and none of it was good. Why? Because religion in His day was, and often still is, man’s idea of what God expects. Religion is man trying to reach God through his own good works.

The Christian faith teaches that God has reached down to man through Jesus Christ. Thankfully, by placing our faith in Jesus, we receive the benefits from the work He has done for us. His work—not our own works of religion, not following rules and regulations man prescribes—justifies us and makes us right with God.

A Christian is not just someone who has agreed to follow certain rules and regulations and observe certain days as holy. A Christian is someone who has had his heart changed by faith in Jesus Christ.

I am grateful, Father, that I am free from man-made ideas of religion. I can relate to You in a personal, intimate way because of Jesus. Thank You for loving me and for living in a relationship with me.

Have you ever faced a situation and said, “There is no way this can ever be”? Maybe some of these thoughts weigh on your mind:

With God’s help, there is
always
a way. This is a beautiful truth to be grateful for. It may not be easy; it may not be convenient; it may not come quickly. You may have to go over, under, around, or through difficulty—but if you will simply keep on keeping on, you
will
find a way. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” He is the Way, and He will help you find a way even where there doesn’t seem to be one.

Father, I thank You that You have “made a way in the wilderness.” Help me to focus on You and not on my circumstances. Thank You that You are making a way for me today.

Love never fails. In other words, it never gives up on people. We can be thankful that God never gives up on us, and we can have that same attitude toward others. The apostle Paul describes what love is in 1 Corinthians 13 and mentions that love always believes the best; it is positive and filled with faith and hope.

While Jesus was on earth, He gave a new commandment to His followers: that we love one another (see John 13:34). For this reason, walking in love should be the main goal of every Christian. God is love (see 1 John 4:8) and He never gives up on us. Let’s choose to live with that same attitude. Believe in the power of love to change and transform anything and anyone. No person is beyond God’s reach!

I am so thankful, Father, that Your love will never give up on me. Help me, Lord, to have that same attitude toward others. Help me to show Your love to the world around me.

Goals are important in life. Paul said that he pressed toward the goal (see Philippians 3:14). As believers, we can be thankful that God helps us set and reach healthy goals in our lives. Many people never accomplish their goals because they do not know how to set them. A popular and easy-to-remember acronym that has been successful in helping countless people reach their goals is the word
smart
:

Specific:
Make sure your goal is as specific as possible.
Measurable:
Goals that are hard to measure are goals that are hard to meet.
Attainable:
Make sure the goal itself is reachable.
Realistic:
It is important to dream big dreams and aim high, but don’t set yourself up for disappointment by trying to reach an unrealistic goal.
Timely:
People who set goals without target completion dates rarely accomplish their objectives.

Father, I am thankful that I can meet the goals I set with Your help. I pray that You give me wisdom to set healthy goals for my life and the perseverance to reach every goal that I set.

There are times to forget and things to forget. For example, when the apostle Paul said that he forgot what was behind, he was talking about not being condemned over past mistakes (see Philippians 3:13). In Isaiah, we are taught not to remember the things of old because God is doing a new thing. That simply means we are not to get stuck in the past.

We hear a lot of teaching about forgetting the past, and although there are times to do that, we should also be taught to remember with gratitude all the good things God has done in the past, passing that gratitude on to future generations. A thankful heart is a heart that remembers God’s love and miraculous deeds and shares them with the world.

Father, I thank You for the amazing things You have done in my past. Help me to always remember Your goodness and use it to build my faith for even bigger and better things to come.