Be Thankful, Not Anxious

In her classic autobiography, "The Hiding Place," Corrie ten Boom tells of the time she and her sister went through Nazi inspections at a death camp.

They were forced to suffer the humiliation of taking off all their clothes. Corrie stood in line feeling forsaken, defiled and desperate for answers.

Suddenly she remembered that when He hung on the cross, Jesus too, was naked.

During that seemingly degrading moment, Corrie was struck with a great sense of awe and worship to God.

She leaned forward and whispered to her sister, "Betsie, they took off His clothes too."

Betsie's simple response, underscores a monumental truth about Thanksgiving.


Betsie gasped and said, "Oh, Corrie, I never thanked Him for that."

Thanksgiving is not about repayment. It's about recognition of what God has done in our lives, our families and our communities.

Thankfulness is the opposite of selfishness.

The selfish person believes they deserve what comes to them.

The unselfish person realizes that everything is a gift from God.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).

We live in a world that is largely anxious and pessimistic. It is often driven by fear and uncertainty. And by selfish motives. Paul defined his times as similar---calling them "evil days" while giving us instruction on how to view such times. And how to respond.

I'm giving a special message on the radio today titled, "Why I Can Not Be A Pessimist" based on Ephesians 5: 15-17.

Join me live at 9 AM PST or rebroadcast at 7:30 PM PST. Here's how.

Be Prayerful. Be Informed. Be Inspired. Be Vigilant. Be Pro-Active. Be Prayerful.