What are you thankful for?
1 Corinthians 1:4–9 (NIV) — 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I always thank my God for you. I wonder if we could say that. How often do you think about someone to pray for them? When you do think about them to pray for them, is it to thank God for them, or is it to ask God to change them in some way? Paul is very specific about why he is thankful for them. Are you specific about why you thank God for someone? Have you ever told that person?
Some think Paul is just going through the motions here. He has a lot of criticisms for the church in Corinth. But Paul does not give thanks for qualities like faith and love, qualities he will later criticize them for. Instead he gives thanks for qualities that he consistently praises them for through the rest of the letter.
… because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. The primary thing Paul is thankful for is what God has done in them. God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. The Corinthians display of spiritual gifts were proof of the gospel, the testimony, that Paul preached. Do you recognize how God is working in Christians around you? Do you recognize how God is working in you?
He will also keep you firm to the end … The Christian life is a marathon. It is a long process of growth and standing firm. Over and over scripture tells us that God is the one who keeps us standing firm. Can you recall a time in your life when God kept you firm? Perhaps you are going through such a time as that right now, or perhaps you know someone else who is. Pray for that person now.
God is faithful. God never gives up. God never breaks his promises. Even when we are faithless God is faithful.
In what area of life do you need God’s faithfulness now? Talk to him about that