November Letter from Pastor Greg

“Thinking” About Three “T’s” That Matter 

“It shouldn’t be what we say about our blessings that matter, but how we use them.” I’m not exactly sure where this quote originated, but it’s old enough that it’s probably not a sound bite from a politician or a twitter feed meant to shame someone toward feeling guilty. Another older quote I found that helps introduce this article is, “Thanksgiving was never meant to be a single day event—it should take place every day through a sincere expression of praise and gratitude for God’s grace and goodness.” 

In searching for relevant and appropriate statements to guide our thoughts toward understanding the theme of this article, I found that more recent comments listed in the sources I checked were often saturated with a cynical or discouraging slant on our society—and especially on the views and values most authentic followers of Christ would/should have. It’s becoming increasingly clear that a Christ—centered biblical worldview is out of sync with what our culture holds to be essential and acceptable. 

With this being said, I’d like to suggest four questions for each of us to ask ourselves before I present some personal applications we should draw from this. Also, please carefully read the passages inserted. 

1) What do my regular habits and routines suggest about the things I treasure most? 

2) How does my personal view of God influence my ability to trust Him? 

3) How does my personal view of God impact my ability to thank Him? 

4) What investments (of my treasures, time, and talents) am I making that are being stored up for eternity? 

Some applications to consider: 

1. Our contemporary (& corrupt) culture is bombarding us with ideas that completely contradict the truths of God’s Word. We should invest time each day through prayerful attention toward His Word, seeking to saturate our minds with godly insights. 

2. From J. I. Packer in Knowing God, “The healthy Christian is not necessarily the extrovert, ebullient Christian, but the Christian who has a sense of God’s presence stamped deep on his soul, who trembles at God’s word, who lets it dwell in him richly by constant meditation upon it, and who tests and reforms his life daily in response to it.” 

3. From A. W. Tozer: “Rules for Self Discovery: 1. What we want most; 2. What we think about most; 3. How we use our money; 4. What we do with our leisure time; 5. The company we enjoy; 6. Who and what we admire; 7. What we laugh at.” 

4. The things we treasure most control our lives. Let’s take careful inventory this Thanksgiving season to see how our gratefulness defines our treasures, and how our treasures define our trust in God. 

As always, with praise for His grace and prayer for His glory, Pastor Greg 

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