He Gets It

With the Thanksgiving holiday here, I am taking to the blogosphere (with a million other people) to talk about all of the things I am thankful for.  It is pretty easy to come up with a list, especially as I sit here outside on my Macbook typing on my blog over my wi-fi while I smoke a cigar and enjoy the cool crisp fall afternoon as my daughter joyfully plays and laughs out here.  I have time to do this now that I have finished planning worship service for tomorrow at the church I have graciously been given to pastor where I have the privilege of preaching tomorrow for the people I love most in the world before I get to spend an afternoon watching football on a TV much larger that I need with some of my best friends as my beautiful wife makes us food and we eat way more than we need.

So what am I thankful for?

Well, I often feel guilty for what I have.  I know I have way more than I need or deserve, and pangs of guilt sneak in almost daily.  And I look at myself in the mirror and mentally admonish myself for my over-indulgent lifestyle, my tendency to confuse my wants for needs, and my overall ingratitude on most days for all of the blessings I have. 

And yet, if I am honest, that guilt doesn't stop me from wanting more.  It doesn't always keep me from buying that next "toy".  It doesn't always keep me from going beyond my needs and indulging myself in my wants.  In short, my guilt doesn't stop me from being selfish.

There, I said it.  I'm selfish...  

So why am I thankful?  Why in the world would a guy with such daily conflict be sitting here with an ear-to-ear smile on his face?

Because God gets it.  He gets it!

He gets that I am so weak.  He gets that I am so conflicted.  He gets that I am so selfish.  He gets that I confuse my wants and my needs.  In fact, He gets me better than I get me.  So He sent His Son so I could get it.  He sent His Son, Who let go of His glory, and Who let go of His rights, and Who let go of His authority and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross all so He could give me what I truly need.

And He gives me what I need, day by day.  He gives me grace to be thankful for all I have.  He gives me grace to recognize my shortcomings (and there are many).  He gives me the grace of conviction when I am being selfish.  He gives me the grace of His Son, Who works in me to see that even though I feel guilt over my selfishness, that all of my guilt before God has been washed away by Him.  He gives me His Spirit to grant me the will and the power to overcome my temptation to buy that next "toy" (not always, but more and more), to keep me from going as far beyond my needs as I did yesterday, and to indulge myself more, day by day, in Him and His wants instead of me and mine.

Do I have a long way to go?  Oh boy, do I!!!  And I am thankful that He has shown me that I do.  But I am even more thankful that of all those things He has blessed me with (see paragraph one up top if you want an idea...), that He blesses me with more of Himself every day, and He has taught me to hold all of those other things so very loosely and to instead hold onto Him with all of the strength He has graciously given me. 

Thank You Lord, for You!

What are some of the things God has given you that you are thankful for this year?



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