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November Pastor's Desk

This month brings us Thanksgiving. For some this is their favorite holiday or time of year. For others it’s a challenge to be thankful for anything. How accurately are you viewing yourself? Do you think you’re a good and deserving person who has been unjustly forgotten? Or do you, like John Newton, view yourself as a wretch saved by amazing grace? It makes a world of difference.

Here’s what I want you to do, either before or on Thanksgiving. Below are 13 questions for your personal assessment, to examine your heart. Don’t rush through these, just to “check the box” for religious activity. Be honest and intentional about exposing your heart. When we’re honest with ourselves, with God, and with others, we’ll discover that we’re more arrogant, demanding and entitled than we think. But don’t be afraid of what may be revealed by honestly answering these questions.

God has already forgiven us entirely on the Cross, and when we cry out for help, he supplies abundant and life-transforming grace to deliver us from a lifestyle of complaining and invite us into a lifestyle of gratitude. Now the Thanksgiving Assessment:

1. Would the people who live nearest to you characterize you as a complaining person or a thankful person?

2. When was the last time you sat down to literally count your blessings?

3. When was the last time you spent time grumbling, moaning and complaining about life?

4. When you look at your world, are you pessimistic about everything that’s going wrong?

5. When you look at your world, do find yourself celebrating God’s common grace?

6. Do you view yourself as one who has been constantly short-changed and neglected?

7. Do you view yourself as one who has been unfairly showered with blessings?

8. How often do you fill in the blank with grumbling, like “If only I had _____” or “I wish _______ was different”?

9. How often do you fill in the blank with gratitude, like “I can’t believe God has given me _________”?

10. In your relationships, are you encouraging friends and family to continue their grumbling?

11. In your relationships, are you encouraging friends and family to find reasons to give thanks to God?

12. In your relationships, do you find yourself frequently tearing others down?

13. In your relationships, do you find yourself frequently building others up?