With A Grateful Heart…
Colossians 3:15-17 (New International Version
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Every year as the days approach Thanksgiving I begin to think about what I am thankful for. As I looked over this year it seemed that most of the year had been a struggle and that the happy times were few, but as I walked into Walmart, I realized in spite of it all I was grateful, and my heart was still full. I realized that many of the things that I had encountered were lessons learned and things conquered. I realized that through everything I had been through there was still a hallelujah and that there was still a tear filled praise. As I was reminded that Jesus blotted out all I owed and all my wrongs and short comings and I realized that in spite of what people think, He still qualified me, He is still justifying me and that God has a unique plan for my life that will supply me with a future and a hope, through Him that loves me.
As I thought of every encounter, heartbreak, every trial and every pain and everything that on the surface seemed so messed up, I remember how I had gained perspective, I remember how God had allowed these things to strengthen me and to give me courage to love and give of myself. To stand and do what was right before God regardless of what man was encouraging me to do. I remember how God carried me, and How he walked with me, through this past year. All I could do was allow the tears of this trip down memory lane to grace my face and for my heart to be filled to overflowing by His Grace and His Mercy that had overshadowed my life and kept me. You see I realize that my issues did not have me; I just realized that I may have had some issues. I realize that I have things that came into my life but they had a reason and a purpose. For me this year is about being grateful to spite what was going on around me, who was shunning me, or not treating me right. It was about being more than a conqueror and truly becoming an overcomer, through Him that loves me.
So it is our choice this Thanksgiving day to choose our perspective and to choose our attitude. Will we be grateful and will we purpose within ourselves to be thankful to God, in spite of what we see, feel and hear? For yes I will, I will bless the Lord at all times and His praises shall continually be in my mouth. I will show forth praise and gratitude to my God in the seasons of planting, in seasons of watering, in seasons of harvest or even when the crops have been devoured, and when people around me leave me because of it. I will still determine to see the good in it and grasp a hold of an attitude that will identify to God my thankfulness and gratitude for all He has done, all that He is doing for me and all He continues to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment