If we’re honest, there are truly a lot of things to get us down these days. It’s in times like these, as Mark and Adam preached on November 16, that we need to come together and get connected to each other as we connect with God. In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul writes about how our faith not only draws us together in faith but in purpose, to tell others about God’s grace. In verse 15 Paul tells us that our work in evangelism is also for our benefit, “So that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”
At a time when it might be difficult to find reasons to be thankful in our day-to-day lives, Paul tells us that thanksgiving will overflow because more and more people are coming to Christ. More than that, in verse 16, he describes the benefits of our efforts: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” He tells us that even though life might be beating us down, God is renewing us inwardly every day. This should encourage us to continue to gather together and to work together to share the Good News of God’s grace and forgiveness.
Our traditional idea of gathering to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday often has us thinking about thanking God for what we have, for what he has done for us, and despite the problems we experience, we are still blessed in this country. However, let us step up our celebration by being thankful for what God has done for others, that more and more people are coming to know God’s grace through Jesus. Let us also use that blessing to fuel our continued efforts to share the Good News and to connect with each other within the body of Christ.