A Heart Full Of ThanksgivingSample

Thanksgiving Defeats Sin

Our relationship with God before sin entered the world resembled a posture of upright confidence. We stood without shame before God. All our affections were aimed directly at the Trinity, and we were perfectly fulfilled. When we chose to sin, and gave into the belief that God and his commands “are not enough,” the Scripture describes us becoming bent. We no longer aim in posture toward God in full assurance of our identity, but we bend toward the world in an effort to find affirmation and acceptance. This is the way Paul speaks of those who are without Christ; “they are crooked and twisted” (PHI 2:15). 

So what is the cure to our crookedness? Philippians 2 tells us how to become blameless, innocent, and without blemish even amidst our sinful desires and world. Paul tells us to “do everything without complaining or disputing.” In other words, be thankful. Paul tells us that our thankfulness will cause us to “shine like stars” amidst “the dark.”

Our world is caught up in entitlement and thus we are ALWAYS discontent. We are just like Adam and Eve in the Garden. We think we deserve to be gods. Thus, we are on an endless quest to captain our own ship, and the reason we are never satisfied, and view all those that stand in the way of our satisfaction as enemies, is because we will not allow ourselves to be happy until we have it all. As a result, we are bound in discontent. Wallowing in our own pride. We are chasing shadows.

Thanksgiving is a lifestyle! If you’re struggling with sin in any fashion today, it’s a worship (thanksgiving) problem. You are worshipping yourself, someone, or something over and above God, and the only way to defeat sin is to transfer your worship. This is what thankfulness does. It takes your focus off your deceptive need, and places your gaze upon the King. 

To learn more about how you can grow in your thankful worship, register for our global Make Jesus Culture Conference. Visit www.makejesusculture.com or the www.gardencityproject.com