{{2010_07_07_t1.jpg}} {{2010_07_07_t2.jpg}} {{2010_07_07_t3.jpg}} [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/doku.php/jn_de_2010_07_07|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]] [[topics_collection_ii|| Topics Collection ii ]] ======Thanks 4 - Reflecting a life of giving ...====== Wednesday, July 7, 2010. The term "thanks" points to a life of giving. Giving and receiving thanks points to a different state of interactions - between humans and between us and God. Of course, we give thanks in our society. We thank people who have helped us. We thank those who have made our success possible. We know, that there are many efforts necessary to reach big goals. {{2010_07_07.jpg }} **A different environment** But God wants to lead us one step deeper into a world of thankfulness. God wants us to be immersed into thankfulness. He wants us to be made of thankfulness and to live a life which is filled with it. When I think about thanks and thankfulness, I have often asked myself, what it means and how to realize thankfulness in the middle of the world we live in. There are several important observations to note. The first observation which is quite significant is the fact that God is the great provider and that thankfulness is an important part of his life, of his presence, of his world (his kingdom). There will not be a life with the Lord without thankfulness, because he is surrounded by thankfulness. "Give thanks to the Lord" ... how often is this repeated in the biblical books! {{ 2010_07_07_2.jpg}} When you ask yourself why thankfulness is so present with the Lord, you will soon discover that it is his friendliness, his grace, his life of giving and serving is the basis on which thankfulness can grow. A life of grace and service God is surrounded by grace and service. The attitude of service is a part of him. Jesus showed this attitude in all what he did. His whole life and more than that his death is characterized by service. It is a service arising from deep love. Thus, God is not asking us to develop thankfulness just out of nothing. He is not demanding impossible things from us. But he wants to take us into his presence. Here, in his presence, there is help, there is love, there is service and provision. Here, there is solidarity, appreciation and freedom. "Come, all who are thirsty ...!" He invites us into his presence. And when we experience his service and love, thankfulness evolves. Searching for thankfulness is something which can truly change our world. We will go beyond its limits, we will discover the power of the most high, who lives a life of grace and service. We will discover the dimension of the eternal God ... and his presence. [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/doku.php/topics_collection_ii|... more texts]]