A Thanksgiving Life

Today's sermon was on A Thanksgiving Life. Spoken by my favorite speaker, Rev Teo Kiak Hock. Again the sermon has refreshed my soul again :)

How to know if you are living a thanksgiving life?
10 points (Check-list)
1) Trust in the Lord
2) Joyful Heart
3) Understanding
4) Learnt
5) Contentment
6) True Freedom
7) Gratefulness
8) Not Asking (No Greed)
9) Generosity
10)Uplifted Life

Let me further explain each point:

Illustration:
Qn: How do you know the value of an antique?
Ans: The value of an antique is determine by the quality of the antique.

Similarly, how do you determine the value of your life?
Its by the quality of your life.

Apostle Paul (in the Bible)= A thanksgiving person, living a thanksgiving life.
Is your life a thanksgiving life?

#1 Trust in the Lord
Trust and rely on God knowing that what the Lord gives is the best for us.
One who can trust God is one who will know how to give thanks to God.
Do you trust in God? Really trust in Him?
Give thanks to God in good times and bad times?
Most of us only know how to give thanks to God in good times, how many of us give thanks in bad times? (I do, because I been thru too many ups and downs in life, I understand that all things works for the good of those who love HIM (GOD). What seems bad is part of the goodness in the perfect plan for God to accomplish something greater for us.)

Trusting in the Lord means FOCUSING ON GOD ALONE-NOT ON THE MATERIAL THINGS OR CIRCUMSTANCE. Christians do not believe on Fate but the Will of God, knowing that everything works for the best of those who love God. This is Positive. Unlike Fate which is the total opposite..in a negative (helpless) state.
Thus Christian do not need to rely on material things to gives good luck.
We basically don't believe in luck.

#2 Joy, emotion comes from reliance on God.
One who knows how to give thanks is one who is joyful.
Joy doesn't comes from health or riches.
Tho riches and health may make one happy.
E.g if Joyfulness comes from health...anyone who is above 30years old will be a sad person..because when one reaches 30s..he/she will start to have problems appearing in health...so this is not true. I know many elderly Christian..faithful christian..even when they are weak and unwell..they are living a joyful and thanksgiving life.

A popular illustration is the half glass of water.
Postive, joyful person will give thanks that the glass is half full.
negative, sad person will grumble that the glass is half empty.
What is your focus?
Men (human) tend to focuz on the negative rather than positive.
A piece of white A4 size paper with a little black dot drew on it..when asked "what do you see?" Most people will answer.."The black dot" People tend to focuz on what is not perfect and forget to give thanks for the part that is good (like in this case the White piece of paper.)

The popular Author Jimmy from Taiwan who wrote the famous (To the Left and to the right) "Xiang zuo zhou, xiang you zhou"- had a little pic illustrating a little girl Lu Lu with her little duckling by the lake watching the ducks flying in the air..below the pic was tiny words written " LuLu cannot not swim....duckling cannot fly..." Author wants us to think what is the next line of this phrase...

What do you think should be the line to follow this?

You can find in another of his book the answer:
LuLu cannot swim, duckling cannot fly ...each day they go to the lake to watch the ducks fly...but still....days passes by as usual...and they are still happy.

Do you see the message here?
Its a matter of choice and perception. What is your focus? Positive or Negative?

#3 Understanding
Many times in life, we do not understand people, we calculate and grumble about each other. We blame each other for not contacting each other for a long time..Have you ever called up a friend and start grumbling how come this good friend of yours have not contacted you for a long time? ( I must confess I did.)
Did you ever wonder what really could have happened to this friend of yours that he/her could not/ did not contact you?
He/she could have been sick or have met problems in life which they have to face and handle in their life. Did we show our understanding and send them a regards instead of reproaching them for not contacting us?

This is point 3...Understanding.
By Understanding..and having an understanding heart can one lives with a thanksgiving heart.

Couples for instance..
Husband..someone who is the head of the family...had to humble himself at work..to his boss or clients..and suffer those treatments which he doesn't have to suffer at home...he had so much sufferings in his heart...not able to share with you....as a wife...did you try to understand and pamper him...when he comes home after his one whole day of suffering at work, giving him the comfort, care, love and encouragement which he deserve? Or did you grumble to him abt how hard you work at home as a housewife?

Similarly as husband, did you ever wonder why your wife is no longer the beautiful attractive lady after she married you? Did you ever wonder how tough it could be to be a housewife with endless housework choice...how tough it is to clean up the house and taking care of the children? Human are basically made of dust..thus we drop dust whenever we go...and we drop hairs whenever we go...did you ever realised that even after vaccuming and sweeping the floor..the floor still have hairs and dust? That's the reason..furnitures are still filled with dust as well..even when you just cleaned them.

Thus similarly, husband should understand the hardwork of wife..giving her love and encouragement when you reach home...presenting her with a little stalk of rose to cheer her up...let her feel appreciated...and trust me..this will works very well..and couples can be loving as before when both have understanding...and appreciation.

#4 Learnt
This life is a life of never ending learning.
The day when we stop to learn is the day our life stops.
Life is the attitude of learning.

Life is about grown.
A thankful heart is a learning heart.
Apostle Paul is always learning. He learnt to accept and deal with the accusation from people.

Think of one thing which you want to learn and approach it positively (optimistic).

Learn to be FOCUS.
Do it with wisdom..and not blinding..

#5 Contentment
Look at what you have and be contented.
Do you know that if you seriously think about it..there are many things you have in life..is what you can live without..You won't die because you lost them.
(This is something which I always remind myself, esp in difficult times. I know that even losing all my material stuffs..I will not die..because I know the Lord will provide me..and with my willingness to move on and work...I will never suffer hunger. I can lost everything except GOD. Because God is my provider..with HIM I already have everything I need. He knows my needs and has never given me up. Even when the whole world gives me up..the Lord has never left me. NEVER! Jesus saith "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Truly I experience and witness this with my life.)

Do you know that we are never contented since young? We always focus on what we don't have or lost than what we already have. Observe the children when they cry..why they cried..sometimes...

This is not easy..but can be learnt.
Only when you manage this..can you really learnt to give thanks..with your heart..(not just your mouth).

#6 Freedom
"Phip 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Many misunderstood this verse and misused this verse.
Do you think this phrase tells you that you can fly like superman if you believe in God or walk on water without drowning yourself?
Don't be silly!
This phrase has to go with the phrase before.
This verse tells you the You are free, no longer bound by the material things.

E.g. Today many people cannot live without Handphone/Mobile Phone (I am one of them...I feels handicap whenever I forgot to bring my mobile phone with me).
This verse tells you that you can learn to be free..not to be bound by this material things..you can live with or without them.
Will you die because you don't have a mobile? Many of us tends to rely very much on today's technology and lost our freedom.

We should learnt to set ourselves free so that we are live with/without them.
This is true freedom. In that way, you will know how to give thanks even when you do not have them.

#7 Be grateful
Be grateful for what you have.
Are you grateful for having a job?

Many of us grumble that we do not have new shoes..esp woman..but have you ever being grateful that you have legs to wear the shoes when there are people who do not have the chance to wear shoes in their entire life?

Are you grateful that you have parents who cares about you and nags at you? There are people who has never seen their parents in their entire life.

Learn to be grateful for what you have and you can start living a thanksgiving life.

#8 Not Asking- Not to be greedy
Not that we do not have needs..but this tells us not to greed for what we do not need. Do you realised that when one has many..one has wants more?
This is greed! Many times we greed what want we do not need.

Do you grumble that others have iphone, when you have only a simple nokia/sumsung or other brand phones? Think about it? Do you really need them? If not, this is greed..greed for what you do not need and jealous of what others have.
It is alright for us to upgrade our life..and live a better life..but..learn to give thanks for the simple life and be contented with what you have and what you can afford. Only then can you learn to give thanks for your life..and be a joyful person.

#9 Generousity
Pray for others generously..did you ever pray for others to have something better than you? Tough right? (I confessed that I am still learning to do that.)
Do you feel jealous when someone has better grades than you..better car than you?
This reminds me to be grateful for having a car. I thank God sincerely now for giving me a car of my own. I used to feel inferior whenever I compared the cars others have to what I have. But now..I realised...that I should be looking at myself. I thank God that I can finally own a car of my own...
So what if its a 13years old Nissan March.
Even tho there is always little hipcups but which car doesn't?
Even new car does.
This car is serving me very well...and with that I serve my family and people around me very well...I am indeed very thankful and proud of my humble little car now.
This is contentment.
I am now learning to give thanks for those who gets better result than me..than cars than me and so on :)

Only with generosity in the heart..can the bitterness in our heart disappear...and can your heart be filled with thanksgiving.
Give thanks for the goodness other received.


#10 Uplifted life
Thanksgiving uplift your life.

Now start your thanksgiving life by finding something to truly give thanks to..and use these 10 check points to see which you should work on..in order to live a truly thanksgiving and joyful life :)

Hope this sharing is beneficial to you as well!
God bless:)

#1 Trust in the Lord