I’m a list-maker.
I might even say I’m a list-lover. My wife and I use a list app to shop for groceries. I make a list as part of my start-up routine when I begin my workday. I must confess that I’m one of those crazy list people who put “done” items on my to-do list, just so I can have the soul satisfaction of checking them off the list.
However, my list-making tendencies can be a real liability for me. When I get discouraged and feel defeated, my list-making goes dark and I begin creating mental lists for why the future is hopeless, why the worst outcome will happen, and why I should be anxious and even panicking.
In 2020, I’ve had a lot of discouraging days where I felt defeated and struggled to hold on to hope. Maybe you can relate.
On days like those, we tend to meditate and focus on the things we've lost. We tend to list out all of the potential negative events and all the reasons why we don't feel hopeful about the future. We even go so far as to believe that we're cursed and list all the ways God or others have cursed us with these negative outcomes and experiences.
This kind of list-making is so dangerous!
When we focus on our obstacles, our negative feelings, and what we feel like we’ve lost, we tend to lose sight of all that God has done for us and His promises to us. This is why David in Psalm 103 wrote these words. “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
May I never forget the good things He does for me. We will never experience the fulfillment of that prayer if we do not regularly stop and focus our minds on the blessings of God. Gratitude and thanksgiving are the by-products of the spiritual habit of reflection and meditation.
One of the best places to go in Scripture to see a description of our spiritual blessings in Ephesians chapter 1. I've chosen to focus on 10 of the many acts of acceptance Paul describes here below.
The Unconditional Love of God. Ephesians 1:3 says, “God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” God’s love is not based upon our condition (i.e. our flaws, our sins, our failures, our best days, our worst days, our achievements.) The blessing we have is the unconditional love God has towards us.
Adoption in the Family of God. Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” We are the sons and daughters of God through Jesus and we can call him “Abba Father” as Romans 8 describes. We have the blessing of an intimate relationship with God through Jesus.
Glorious Grace of God. Ephesians 1:6 says, “We praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” Many define grace as “God’s unmerited favor.” We don’t merit or deserve God’s grace, but God’s glory is ours and we must never get over the wonder and amazement of that.
Freedom in Christ. In verse 7, Paul states, “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son.” We do not have to live in bondage; we don’t have to stay stuck in our past. Because of God’s kindness, we can flourish in freedom.
Forgiveness of our Sins. Ephesians 1:7 also reminds us that the blood of Jesus gives us confidence that God “forgave our sins.” In our world, people hang our worst moments over our heads and define us by our failures and flaws. Jesus has forgiven our sins - we don’t have to pay for them anymore!
Undeserved Kindness. Paul tells us in verse 8 that God “has showered his kindness on us.” It may be hard to believe that God is showering us with kindness when we’re distanced from the people we love, walking through a grocery store with a mask, or crossing another plan off of the calendar. But when we consider our sinful past and the mistakes we make in a given day, the grace and mercy of God reveal a torrential downpour of kindness!
The revelation of His Will. We aren’t in the dark anymore! In verse 9, Paul reminds us that “God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.” One of the greatest sources of worry in our lives is not knowing what God is up to at the moment. However, we have the blessing of knowing God’s will is to “bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.” As the song, “Waymaker” reminds us, “even when I don’t see it, you’re working.”
Inheritance from God. In verse 11, we read this good news from Paul. “Because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God.” Our inheritance is access to the riches of God. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, “this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” All our needs pale in comparison to our inheritance in Christ from God!
Confident Hope. Who among us hasn’t felt shaken at one point or another this year? Paul prayed for us to see and hold on to this hope in verse 18. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.” In a time which has felt dark and led some to despair, our hearts can be flooded with light when we understand the hope we have in Christ!
The greatness of His Power. In verses 19 and 20, we learn about another prayer Paul prayed for followers of Christ. “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." How great must the power have been that raised Jesus from the dead? That same power is for you and me. That same power is in you and me through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Did you feel that as you read through these 10 acts of acceptance?
By shifting our focus, even if just for a few minutes, from our circumstances and emotions to just a few of the blessings we have in Christ, we recognize what we have to be grateful for and the reason we have to be hopeful!
Keep this list of acceptance close-by and come back to it often. Challenging days are ahead. But our blessings are more than sufficient to meet those needs!
Make Your 10 Selfless Acts Now
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer who believes he has the best last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He is the creator of the Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
