The Reason for Thanks
Here at Crossings, the seasons always seem to come quickly. And while we’re not yet halfway through autumn, the general consensus is that Christmas seems to have already arrived. This should come as no surprise, as each year the retail industry pushes the Christmas shopping season earlier and earlier into the fall. Whatever happened to the Thanksgiving season? As the world around us presses its agenda of selfish consumerism, we strive to maintain an attitude of selfless gratitude that is too often forgotten.
Scripture makes it clear that for believers in Christ, “thanksgiving” is not just a holiday squeezed in between the middle of a grand commercial agenda. Instead, it is an attitude of the heart that we are called to demonstrate daily. Colossians 3:17 tells us: “…whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In Psalm 106:1, we are exhorted to: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” When we remember the goodness of the Lord and his grace that has been poured out upon us through Christ, how can we express anything but thanksgiving?
Here at Crossings, we’re thankful for the way the Lord has shown His grace in our lives and our ministry. He allowed us to share the Gospel with more than 11,000 students in 2013. What’s more, He’s given us the opportunity to see nearly 800 student cross over from death to life this past year. We’re thankful that He has allowed us to partner with churches and ministry leaders to see students lives changed as the learn to “Love God, Love People, and Be a Servant.”
Though the world continues to swirl around us with selfishness, consumerism and excess, as believers in Christ, we can find refuge from the insanity. We can look beyond the broken world and be reminded that God’s goodness is evident all around us each and every day. The ultimate expression of His goodness is found in the life-changing message of the Gospel. And for that, we are thankful.