Gratitude Opens Doors
Psalm 100:4
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
Navigating
Am I doing anything right…
As we navigate through life and all of its issues, we know all too well that not every day will be an easy one. We start the week off with a bang and then all of a sudden, the proverbial rug gets pulled out from underneath us and we never saw it coming.
We work through the good, the bad, the excitement of life and even the boring days, almost as if we are on a constant roller coaster. One minute we are enjoying life and then dreading it the next. It can be very confusing, leaving us with feelings of uncertainty, questioning every move we make and whether or not we are going in the right direction. Negative emotions can overwhelm us and take over our thoughts creating wrong decisions out of frustration and fear.
Feelings can overwhelm
How will I ever be good enough…
It can feel as if some days are harder than others, we struggle and can’t seem to “get it right”. During those times we don’t feel grateful about anything, because all we do is complain and make everything worse. We feel let down, disappointed and lost.
Everyone has felt this way many times over and we will continue to do so, because we live in a world surrounded by evil constantly. Our job is to get going in the direction that God has for us, never straying from the Narrow Road and not looking back.
Jesus has forgiven us for the past and His Word says to stay focused on the “here and now”. The past is over, so no need to keep beating yourself up over something you can’t change, whether it was your fault or someone else’s.
Gratitude is so important
Take life one day at a time…
Stay grateful for everything, even if you have to fight back the tears or anxiety due to a situation that is out of your control, keep going, keep praying, keep believing. It is only temporary, and God will get you through to the other side.
At our lowest moments in life, remember, there is always someone who has it harder than us. If they can rejoice through the uncertainty and pain, so can we.
Where are you God
Am I just talking to myself…
Whenever we feel displaced or ignored by God, we must always remember to give thanks for all that He has done for us, even when we don’t feel like it. It can be from the smallest moments to the big surprises that He has blessed us with, and once we do, we instantly feel happier and full of joy.
I’ve learned that people that are not grateful for their lives, their children, homes, work, etc., usually become vain in their perceptions on how they see the world; ignoring the smallest of incidents that God brings our way. He is always watching us and is extremely interested in our lives.
When we cry or are in pain emotionally or physically, He is right there with us. A very important concept that God is adamant about, is to make sure that we never say or act as if we can do it all without Him. We are nothing without Him because He created everything around us, in us and He ordained our lives from the very beginning of time.
Awake from sleeping
Knowing who you are in Christ…
Once we are awakened to who we are and what we can become with Jesus, our journey of living for Him begins. If we chose “not to” recognize His blessings and interventions, then we are living a selfish life, one void of God and that is not a good place to be in. No amount of money or position can get you into Heaven to be with Jesus for eternity.
A self-made man is the worst possible situation to be in, because no-one can do anything without God. The very air that we breathe is from Him, our lives are in His hands continually and blocking those provisions and blessings can do us extreme harm and separate us from God.
Happy or Joyful
We should strive towards Joy…
The longer I walk with God, I have learned with all of the ups and downs life throws at us, we can still have Joy. Joy is not happiness. True Joy is amazing, and they are two very different feelings.
Happiness occurs because we decide to see things in a better light and not let fear or negativity overwhelm us (although evil seems to pop up all the time).
Joy, on the other hand, is a feeling that only comes from God because we cannot manifest it on our own. It is spiritual and is much greater than happiness and the beauty is, that along with it comes peace. A good joke or a funny movie can make us happy, but it is only temporary. It comes and then its gone.
Joy is everlasting and continues to manifest on and on. When we are grateful for our lives, then we are telling God thank you for allowing me this moment and I cherish it wholeheartedly. When a Christian has a heart for God (like King David danced before Him continuously), then he/she is trusting Him with everything.
Jesus wants your heart
Changing your mindset to think like Jesus…
That is what Jesus came to accomplish when He was here on earth, to obtain our hearts, our inward selves. He did not come to abolish all of the evil rulers or make everyone wealthy with a swipe of His hand. No, He isn’t a magician; he is the Son of God and yet a humble servant at the same time.
He sacrificed Himself so that we may duplicate His way of thinking and living to spend eternity with Him, conquering all the trials and tribulations while here on earth and follow Him. We cannot live this life without him. Those of us that have tried, will eventually admit that we failed and we need guidance to get through this maze of life.
Attributes to aspire towards
Developing a real relationship with God…
Gratitude, honor, glory, thankfulness and joy are all attributes that we should aspire to be and to have. Too many closet Christians speak big words or pretend to love and know God, but deep down, they know they don’t have a real relationship with Him and are hiding their true selfish natures and feelings.
Just as others believe that you have to “work” for God to get into Heaven. The bible is very clear about “working” for eternity. That is vanity and pride. There isn’t enough work that we could do to satisfy God and no-one is worthy enough to get into Heaven, we need Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life.
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
(Proverbs 16:18)
This verse warns against the dangers of pride and arrogance.
Keep going
Plan your life daily…
Challenge yourself every day and make lasting goals to be grateful to God for everything in your life. Write them down, speak them out loud to yourself and to God.
Let Him know you love what He has done for you. Joyful moments, like that wonderful cup of coffee, as you sit in your favorite Coffee Shop savoring a beautiful morning with friends or a bright sunny day enjoying a cool breeze.
Pleasing Him
The love of God is in everything…
The smallest of things delight God and you are letting Him know that you appreciate all that He has given you. Your life will change, your attitude will improve, and your world will seem brighter.
Continue to make this a part of your daily routine and slowly all the negative thoughts will vanish as if they never existed. Will they still try to show up? You bet they will, in many different ways, but the feelings won’t have such a lasting effect on you like they used to. Because gratitude always wins!
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”