One of my favorite times is coming up rather quickly, Black Friday! It was this realization that stirred my heart. It is rather sad that I am more excited for a day full of shopping for the best deals around, trying to beat everyone else to that awesome deal on that wonderful...whatever it is, and yet I decide to ignore the oh so important day before.
One of the things I fail to realize sometimes is just how much God has blessed me. I have an amazing Christian family, an amazing group of Christian friends, a job, free college, and most importantly, I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb. I am surrounded by God's amazing blessings, I couldn't even be able to do a sufficient job of counting them.
Paul gave a very simple instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Give thanks in all circumstances...as simple as it sounds, it's actually kind of difficult. Maybe not when everything is going just fine, and you couldn't have a care in the world. But what about those times when God seems far away, when we have lost a loved one. We are still supposed to give thanks. I think the reason is provided in Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us." When I think about all of the hard things I have had to go through, all I have to do is think about an eternity spent with Jesus Christ, and those trials just fade away. Oh that wonderful day when I will get to be with my Lord and Saviour, those hard times don't even matter anymore.
At the heart of it all, when I find myself wanting something, or thinking how terrible my circumstances are, all I need to do is think about what Christ has done, and that the best is still to come, and I am filled with an attitude of gratitude.
"I had no shoes and complained, until I met a man with no feet."
Do you have an attitude of gratitude?
