Crossroads Church

Thanksgiving Thots: “It Could Be Worse”

I know…I know…the economy is bad, the government is broken, and winter is coming for the next 6 months for us Minnesotans. But, you know, it could be worse.

· We could have Venezuela’s inflation rate (28.2%) or Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate (estimated to be close to 95%).

· We could be part of a repressive regime run by someone like Kim Jong Il, who has imprisoned hundreds of thousands of citizens in labor camps.

· We could have Fairbanks, Alaska’s weather. Last week they hit an all-time record low of 41 degrees BELOW zero!

Go ahead and say these words out loud: “It could be worse.”

Crossroads, on this Thanksgiving Week let’s lead the way in living grateful lives. Instead of looking at those more fortunate than ourselves and saying “It could be better,” let’s look at the billions who are less fortunate and say, “It could be worse.”

By the time we sit down on Thursday and finish our first plate of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, 500 people in our world will have died of hunger. Not you. Not me.

It could be worse.

Paul (the Apostle) said in Philippians 4:11 “…I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

I’m not there yet. I’m trying to LEARN contentment…unfortunately our culture tries to teach me discontentment (we hear over 3,000 advertising messages per day that all say “Whatever you have isn’t enough”).

Let’s push back on all that and declare that today we have enough. As we think about Venezuela, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Fairbanks, Alaska, let’s remind ourselves that IT COULD BE WORSE.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for all of you!

Pastor Phil