Have You Been Thankful Lately?


I guess you are not going to be surprised if I tell you that Amazon keeps track of your online activities. When you read an e-book and mark sentences, you leave your digital footprints for Amazon to keep in its database. When Amazon recently released a list of the most popular passages in some of its bestselling books, it also released the most highlighted passage in the Bible.

Which passage do you think it is? I expected it to be John 3:16 or Psalm 23. But to my amazement, it was Philippians 4:6–7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Surprised? Yes and no. Obviously, we live in a worried world, and that passage strikes a deep cord within us.

In dealing with anxieties, worries, and concerns, the Apostle Paul particularly highlights the need to have a thankful attitude—not necessarily because of our circumstances but despite them.

Here at COM, we’re blessed with staff who regularly pray and financially support each other. I recently became aware of a staff member who is facing the challenge of maintaining his own support, but he continues to contribute to my ministry. I was moved and wrote him a thank-you note.

I also heard this story from New York City. An investor on Wall Street jumped from a high-rise building because his investment had plummeted to only one million dollars. In the same evening, a teacher was holding a celebration party a few blocks away because she had unexpectedly inherited one million dollars from her aunt.

As God’s chosen people, we have so much more than one million dollars to be thankful for. We have Christ!

Ultimately, to be thankful is a choice. Have you chosen to be thankful lately?

As we look forward to the Thanksgiving season, may we choose to be thankful—and not just during the season but throughout our lives.


-- Daniel Su, COM President