Thankfulness!
Thankful!
I was reading a blog this morning about contentment, written
by some friends of mine. I am very
fortunate to know both of these beautiful ladies! Contentment, isn’t this what we are searching
for in a world filled with confusion, sorrow, chaos and contention? Check out their blog and website:
I find in myself that it is much easier to complain about
what isn’t going right and sharing that notion, instead of thinking and
expressing thankfulness! Where do you
start when you feel so bogged down with this heaviness of responsibility and oppression
of life? And often uncontrolled
circumstances that are, or feel anyway, simply outside of your control? What frustration!!
It isn’t just me with the struggle but many others feel and
experience the same thing. How do we
change? What will make the significant difference
in our own life? One of my friends is
soon to have a book released about her own life story, telling us through her life
experience how to make this radical change in your life style. Check out their (a mother and daughter team)
new website! Don’t miss it!! http://aradicaldifference.com/. Since I haven’t had the opportunity to read
her story yet….I am anxiously waiting!
To me, my perception of changing things starts with just one
word. One word can change a bad
attitude, it can reform your heart and even change your character!! The one missing link is when we use this
word and just gloss over it, or think of it for a moment than continue in the
old frame of mind…complaining! Don’t
just read it, or think of it briefly, but live it and breathe it in like
oxygen to your soul, because it is! What
am I talking about, you say? I am
talking about the spirit of thankfulness.
Grab it and hold it close to your heart and your mind. Replace the spirit of complaining with a spirit of thankfulness.
Where do we start? Take a breath and breathe in and every time
you breathe in, think of something you are thankful for. Even if you are in the most oppressive
environment in the world, and you feel like the world is going to suffocate you,
thankfulness is the oxygen and the medication your heart and mind need to
change things, to make things alive again where your spirit can live again. Thankfulness is the key to the closed door of
oppression and hopelessness. And, I
think, you might be surprised that once you start listing, in your mind and
heart, all those things you are genuinely thankful for, you will be so
surprised! Even in God’s word, He tells
us one of his principles is thankfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in
everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Let go! If we don’t let go of a
bad attitude, it can never be replaced by a good one. If we don’t let go of the bad thoughts, how
can they be replaced with the good ones.
And if we can’t stop complaining, there is no room for being thankful. Sometimes oppression or a bad attitude comes
from those things we cannot change. So,
stop trying! It isn’t meant for you to
change it, only God can change that which needs to be changed. …4 So you will find
favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD
with all your heart
And do not lean
on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…
Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
As you start to count your blessings, I think
you will find love is surrounded by all of it, all that you are thankful
for. It is in everything you are
thankful for! It really isn’t a
surprise. Everything is a choice…wouldn’t
you rather be surrounded by love, than be surrounded by complaining?
So, what is required to change the attitude of oppression
to an attitude of life and breathing freely?
I think it might be a requirement to “Forgive”. Forgive yourself for drowning in a muck of
negative thoughts and forgive those around you, because often they don’t see
life through the lens of life through thankfulness and praise! – All mixed with
a hardy dose of forgiveness!
One of my favorite verses that encompass
forgiveness and thankfulness is Philippians 4:8 – So whatever is worthy of “Praise”
“Thankfulness” – think on these things! Finally,
brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any
excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Honesty also helps us to see things clearly. If we don’t see the need to change, then we
won’t change. Be honest with yourself
and those around you. The only thing we
can change is that person we see in the mirror.
I find that the longer I focus on thankfulness and God’s promises (which
I am very thankful for - the more clearly I can see. Not that which is in another person, but that
which is found within me.
When it comes to trust, I think this is another
element in the formula of living a life filled with contentment. We need something to trust in, don’t you
think? Well, when all else fails in this
world of constant change, my trust lies in a God that NEVER changes! He also says to trust in Him rather than, in
man or money, or temporal things that are here on this earth.
“Lean not unto your own understanding - For length of days, and long life, and peace,
shall they add to thee. 3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind
them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4So shalt thou find favor and good
understanding in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he
shall direct thy paths. 7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the
LORD, and depart from evil. 8It shall be health to thy navel, and
marrow to thy bones. Yes, “trusting in
the right source will restore your hope”.
Part of the process of being thankful, is
actually speaking life. Because when we
murmur and complain it really is a slow process of death. Praising God and being thankful for
everything we have in our life is the same thing as speaking life to a
situation, a moment in time and our daily walk in this journey of life. Speak it, live it and eventually feel
it!
I have to smile when I think about God always
talking to us, because He is, we need just to listen. How often do we close our ears to Him? To those of us that do listen, he has written
His words on our heart and mind, giving us the power to praise and the strength
to be thankful, and the eyes to see that each promise is truth brought
alive. As we rest in Him and trust in
Him, He puts before us more and more to be thankful for. Until one day we realize that our heart is
filled with His JOY!!!
Mathew 11:29 - …28 Come to Me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and
learn from
Me; for I am
gentle
and
humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your
souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light.”… Oh, how we need this rest! It is all found in thankfulness!
I am thankful that I can connect with you
through this blog. And God has given me
really the heart of a child, where playing is never off limits, in fact it is
encouraged. God himself tells us
that we need to have the heart of a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven! …2 Jesus called a little child to stand among
them. 3“Truly I tell you, He said, “unless you change and
become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like
this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.…
JUST DO IT,
don’t just dream it, but live it! Live a
life of thankfulness! Live a life filled
with the Holy Spirit! God says in the end days, that he will gives us dreams
and prophesy! What is His greatest
commandment? Loving others as we love ourselves? Loving God with everything we have! How do we accomplish this? By having a heart that is filled with
thankfulness! When you see your’ loved
one next time, tell them thank you for being who they are, because they were
made in the image of an almighty God!
When you see your friend in the store or where ever they may be, tell
them thank you for being there for you, because they too were made in the image
and likeness of God! Even when you see
your enemy, thank God for them because God made them too in His likeness and
image. You may want to share your lens
of life with them, so they too see things with a very thankful heart! Genesis 1:27 - 27God
created man
in His
own image, in the
image of God
He created him; male
and
female He created them.
God bless you today and every day! And thank you for reading this post
today.
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