“Not my will, but yours, be done.” —Luke 22:42
The most remarkable instance we have of Jesus giving thanks was at the Last Supper. Within hours of His betrayal, arrest, and trial—to be followed by His crucifixion—Jesus observed the Passover feast with His disciples.
On a night when from a human perspective He had every reason to be self-absorbed and to give in to self-pity, resentment, or murmuring, He spoke words of thanks to His Father, words that flowed from a thankful heart.
That’s no small deal. This wasn’t just an obligatory blessing offered before eating. The whole meal pictured the enormous sacrifice Jesus was about to make. In giving thanks for the cup and the bread, then in giving the symbolic elements to His disciples, Jesus was saying in effect, “Yes, Lord! I willingly surrender Myself to Your calling for My life, whatever the cost.”
He gave Himself to God and to the world, not under coercion but with abandon and . . . with gratitude. Grateful for the privilege of obeying His Father and of fulfilling the mission He had been sent to earth to complete.
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Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy ©2009 Revived Hearts Foundation
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Ask the Lord to make your life one that overflows with gratitude—even in the face of surrender and sacrifice.