Abraham Lincoln supposedly said that “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Whether he actually said it I do not know, but there is truth in the words. Observe 2 persons in the same set of circumstances and you will find both misery and happiness - in large part because of the attitude that each brings to her situation.
We are just a couple of weeks from Thanksgiving. Will it be a time of gratitude in your home or will you be mired in anger, fear, resentment, or regret? Would you prefer joy? There is a singular choice that you alone can make that will have a major impact, shaping your environment. We can be thankful, perhaps not for what is happening to us, but certainly for God’s grace and goodness. I do not live in an untroubled world. I realize that people will will be rude, some thoughtless, that your spouse meet you with weariness and crankiness. I hear the same news that you do and know just how uncertain the future is at this moment. However, I am determined - to find a reason to offer thanks. G.K. Chesterton urged people to work on the habit of “taking things with gratitude and not taking things for granted.”
A Christian who wants to reflect the heart of Jesus to the world will learn to be grateful – to God, to others – consistently. It takes practice. Self has a voracious appetite and will devour as much attention as we give to it. Many of us mistakenly believe that gratitude is something we ‘feel’ rather than a choice we make. On those days when the kids are mysteriously wonderful and kind, when our spouse is especially attentive to our needs, when our coffee is served ‘just right,’ and everyone on the road is courteous, we feel thankful. (Does that ever really happen?) If we wait to feel thankful, we will not be thankful often, if ever. Here is what the inspired Word tells us: "No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)
Living with an attitude of gratitude can be a difficult choice. Honestly, sometimes we just enjoy griping and wallowing in our misery! I confess that I have I wasted too many days wishing that life were different, allowing myself to get lost in the fog of ‘if only’ and ‘could be.’
The truth is that each second spent wishing is a one in which I am not present to what God is accomplishing in me and through me. That does not mean that I cannot work to change things, or that I cannot acknowledge pain or disappointment. Gratitude is not escapism, nor is it denial. Gratitude finds God in the now and accepts His grace.
Begin the day with thanks to God. Do not let it be a perfunctory, “Thank you, Lord, for all You have done.” Make it personal, from the heart, authentic. Speak it. That first person you encounter in the morning – let your first words be thankful and again, make it real! When irritation stirs in you, meet it with your will and replace it with a positive thought. Take some time this week and write your own “Psalm.” (a model might be Psalm 103) “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—” (Psalm 103:1-2, NIV)
This principle is absolutely true
– the more thankful I am, the better I become at it. Gratitude grows
with practice. Thankful people attract
others who are grateful. They dethrone
Self, focus outward and upward, learning to accept life, not as they wish it
were, but as it is.
Here is the word from the
Word. Live it!
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from
your enemies.” (Psalm 107:1-2, NLT)
“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.” (Psalm 107:31-32, NLT)
Oh, and by the way, if you
hear me complaining, I give you permission to remind me of this CoffeeBreak
thought but please - be gentle. (smile)
(Video of this blog at this link)
____________________
(take 4 minutes and listen to Veritas worship our faithful God)
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence
To cheer and to guide
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside
Words: Public Domain
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