Eternal Gratitude
By Lexi Cole
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
2 Corinthians 9:15
I made a big mistake. Because it was raining, I put my iPod on the back of my dad’s car while I was mowing the lawn so it wouldn’t get water damage. Unknowing, Dad drove off with it still on his trunk…at least initially! We searched and searched everywhere, but couldn’t find it. Yet, in an incredible answer to prayer, a girl in my sister’s high school choir saw my iPod in her yard six miles away, went through the pictures, recognized Rachel and gave it to her…and it still works! You can imagine how thankful I am to this girl I don’t know. As the cliché goes, I am “eternally grateful.”
Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias believes that we, as Christians, have lost our wonder of God because we mix up the two types of gratitude. He writes:
Gratitude is the freeing expression of a free heart towards one who freely gave. There are actually two basic emotions within the grateful heart. One erupts on the spur of the moment. It is unstudied and enduring...A raise from the boss! A new car! A generous gift! All those are wonderful things, but they…easily can be forgotten...The gratitude that I am speaking of is not sporadic. It cannot be spent or exhausted. It is the transformation of a mind that is grateful for the giver than for the gift, for the purpose than for the present, for life itself rather than for abundance. It values a relationship rather than any benefit made possible by the relationships… In short, where there is no gratitude, there is no wonder. [1]
It makes me ask, which gratitude do I have toward God? It’s easy to be grateful to this girl who found my iPod and returned it. However, have I allowed the busy-ness and routine of life to distract me from being truly grateful to my God? When I worship, is gratitude pouring out of me? Or am I focusing on whether I like a particular worship style or song? When I pray, is it real thankfulness coming from my mouth? Or are my prayers all about me? When I engage in relationships, is my eternal gratitude for my Savior shining through every thought, word or action? Or am I living life for my own gain? Because I’ve known God’s grace for a while, it is imperative I never stop being intentionally and intensely grateful for His restoring work and relationship.
I am very thankful to this girl for finding my iPod and returning it. But I am eternally grateful to my God who has redeemed my life.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Is your gratitude towards God the quick gratitude or long-lasting?
2. Be intentional today in expressing your eternal gratitude to God for His grace.
FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 15:57; Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17
Lexi is an Elementary Education major at Bethel University. This summer, she’s serving as the Interim Children’s Director at Oakwood.
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