What does life and what you experience mean to you? What are some of the things you find yourself most grateful for? And I wonder, how do your answers to these questions shape the way you choose to live? Or rather, do they have any impact at all? Sure, that was a lot of questions. But I would argue they merit our attention, especially as we probe the topic of what it means to live a life that reflects what’s most important.
Have you ever noticed that different cultures around the world are often shaped by what they value most? In many parts of Asia, respect and honor are of utmost significance. As such, people in those countries seek to live a life worthy of giving and receiving respect and honor. Italians care about hospitality, and as someone who once lived there, I can say that Italians are some of the most hospitable people I’ve come across. Americans are commonly referred to as dreamers, which helps us understand why Americans throughout history have often been defined as ambitious and determined.
The important point to emphasize here is that what you care about ought to be a prominent factor in what determines your way of living. And as I thought about this concept, it made me wonder: How does this apply to the believer?
Missionary and author Elizabeth Elliot once said, “As I travel around and meet all kinds and varieties of Christians, I’m dismayed to notice that, very often, there doesn’t seem to be any difference in the way they live and the way the rest of the world lives. In the way they respond to the experiences of their lives and the way the world would respond.” The question she pressed believers to ask themselves is as follows: “What kind of a difference would I expect others to see in my life which would … catch their attention and make them say, ‘There is something different about that [person]’?” According to Elliot, there is at least one distinction others should point out, namely, “gratitude.”
Christians, more than anyone else in the entire universe, should be the most joyous and grateful people. That is because, unlike most, our joy and our gratitude is not ultimately based upon what we experience in this life. For God’s people, we find our joy and thankfulness in the God who gave us the most precious gift in the world: salvation. And yes, this truly makes all the difference.
Consider examples of Christian figures throughout the ages who demonstrated gratitude. Not because their circumstances were perfect, but because the hope of salvation transcended all their woes. Despite losing her husband to the very people she evangelized to, Elliot said, “If I thank God for this very thing which is killing me, I can begin, dimly and faintly, to see it as a gift.” Pastor Charles Spurgeon, who wrestled with depression, stated, “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” Theologian John Owen lost 10 of his 11 children, yet he still proclaimed that “to those to whom Christ is the hope of future glory, He is also the life of present grace.”
None of these people were perfect, nor did any of them have perfect lives. But all of them are remembered as people who loved and trusted their Savior. Each of these individuals, and countless others, lived lives marked by gratitude to their God and to their salvation. I believe the same should be true of every single one of us who call on the name of the Lord.
Our gratitude must stem from an understanding of the foundation we’re grateful for. The basis of our thankfulness is not because God provided us with a godly, loving spouse. It’s not founded upon the promotion we just received, or any other such blessings God often graciously gives. Gratitude for the believer simply cannot be built off emotional highs or lows. No, for the believer, the foundation of gratitude is on something that never changes, never fails, and will never be stripped away.
When Christ died on the cross and rose again, He established the way to Him and eternal life. He granted the salvation you and I have. He paid our debt — a debt we could never repay. Don’t you see? Because of this gift, which has been freely given, we’re able to face anything on this earth, lose or gain anything in this life, because our eternity is fixed, and our hearts swell with praise. Our gracious God already made the way for our eternity with Him, free from pain and death. It’s so beautiful — so precious — I don’t see how any believer could hear of this truth without crying out, “Hallelujah!”
More than anything, I hope to make clear this simple yet profound truth that our salvation, provided by a faithful God, is the foundation for our gratitude. We can rest assured that it is not a foundation of sinking sand, but one that is immovable; unshakeable. And because this is the basis for our joy, hope, and thankfulness, we will always have reason to say, “Thank you, Lord.” Beyond words, the demonstration of our gratitude is giving our whole being to the Lord through our actions and choices. Or as the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, we “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice.”
With a heart of gratefulness, we pray: “Lord, I may not have a perfect life. I may still struggle, and wrestle, and fight against sin and pain. But my God, You are eternal. You are good. You are the anchor of my life. My salvation isn’t going anywhere, because You declared to be the same ‘yesterday, today, and forever.’ You said no one can pluck me out of Your hand. You promised to never leave me nor forsake me. You are the one who said, ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’”
And so, we come. We fall into the hands that bled for us. We gaze upon the One who called us by name. We sing praises of reverence and gratitude to the One who gave His all, even His communion with the Father, so that we can have it all. Pastor R.C. Sproul once conveyed, “The essence of the Christian ethic is gratitude.” So, may our lives therefore be shaped by gratitude, so blatant that it catches the eyes of unbelievers, just as Elliot had said.
We have a gift so marvelous and deep, how could we ever be thankful enough?
Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.