A Challenge of Thankfulness
Now that Linda has completed the book of Luke, here’s one of the most popular posts from this gospel.
People are asked to post something they are thankful for every day
Reference: Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, (Luke 23:50 NIV)
Explore: On Facebook some people engage in challenges that they share with their social media community. A common one amongst my friends at the moment is posting significant Bible verses seven days in a row.
A challenge that popped up a few years ago, and is still going strong in different ways, is the challenge of thankfulness. People are asked to post something they are thankful for every day for either a week, a month or even a year.
While I have never engaged in this type of posting before, I think it would be good for the person to actually think of something good every single day.
Some days just seem mundane. They are similar to yesterday and will be repeated tomorrow.
But it’s great to stop and take stock of what we can still be thankful for, even on an average day.
Application: As I read through the shocking brutality and injustice of the Passion story, it’s hard to find something to be thankful for. But then enters Joseph.
He was not for Jesus’ judgement and bravely went forward to ask for His body. He prepared it as best he could and laid it in his tomb.
Sure, the damage had been done, but Joseph put himself forward to take positive steps towards Christ. He was the bright light in an otherwise dark day.
No matter how bad our day is, there is a bright light somewhere. On these days we may need to look harder for it, but we are still able to see glimpses of hope and grace.
While we may not share these on social media, it’s good to stop and think each day on the positives God brings into our lives.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the blessings we experience each day. Sure, there are some days when these are harder to see than others, but as long as You are there, we are blessed. Amen.
What is something you have to be thankful for today?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.