Chosen in Gratitude

Scripture Readings: 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10; Luke 2:36–38

We remember before our God and Father 

your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love,

 and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Our identity as the "chosen" of God is not found in status or outward success, but through the visible transformation of our character. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10, Paul recognizes God’s choosing of the believers through their "faith at work, love in action, and hope that endures." This election is not a hidden secret, but a lived reality that bears fruit in the world. As the year wanes, we are invited to look back and give thanks for the quiet evidences of grace—those moments where God’s hand shaped us unseen, moving us from mere words to "power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." Gratitude, therefore, becomes the true language of election; we realize we are chosen because we see His love actively working through us.

This spirit of gratitude is embodied in the Witness of Waiting found in the life of Anna (Luke 2:36–38). Having spent decades in the Temple through "fasting and prayer night and day," Anna’s long years of devotion did not lead to bitterness, but to a sharpened spiritual clarity. The moment she sees the child, she begins to give thanks to God and speaks of Him to all who are "waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem." Her life teaches us a vital lesson: those who have learned to wait well become the first witnesses when hope arrives. Anna was chosen to recognize the Messiah not by a sudden stroke of luck, but because her years of patient prayer had prepared her heart to see what others missed.

Today, we find ourselves in our own season of waiting as we transition toward a new year. We are reminded that our faithfulness is a response to the One who first called us. Like the Thessalonians, our lives can become a "model" to others when we allow our gratitude to overflow into action. Like Anna, our persistence in prayer prepares us to testify to the redemption that is already at work in our midst. We conclude this year not by counting our own achievements, but by giving thanks for the enduring mercy that has held us. We recognize that we are chosen not for our own glory, but to be witnesses to the Light that has finally dawned.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the quiet evidences of Your grace that have shaped us throughout this year. Grant us the patience of Anna, that we might learn to wait well and recognize Your redemption in the world around us. May our lives be marked by faith, love, and hope as we rest in the joy of being chosen by You. Amen.