Growing thankfulness

Like Paul the apostle I can say that I am (was?) "the worst of them all" yet grace made a way for me. I was just as wretched and miserable...even though I didn't know it. God redeemed me through faith in Jesus Christ.

But unlike Paul, I am not in the habit of rejoicing in every circumstance; oh no! I'm afraid I am too quick to be dissatisfied, criticizing even the things I claim to have loved and enjoyed so much. My heart, I must admit, is too easily drawn towards feelings of resentment, bitterness, and discontent. When I am brooding, thinking too much-meditating-on the wrong things, it is no wonder that life can seem a mess; overwhelmingly uncertain, ridden with mistakes...etc.

Without even going into the reproach of the dire need to continually meditate on God's Word; without negating the necessity of that discipline, I have to say that I can be grateful that my born-again spirit will not long tolerate such meditations in silence. Soon and very soon, I am reminded of the existence and entity of an awesome loving Father: and that there is consequently so much to be grateful for. Yes, even in the worst of all situations; there is always something to be grateful for: something good to thank the Lord for, at the very least the fact that I have the hope of becoming a better version of me-SANCTIFICATION.

Indeed, it is good to go back to the basics; life, food, clothes, whole body parts, shelter, loved ones; and if you break those down, you will almost begin to realize the many minute details that are taken care of daily without your say-so/direction. On yours and my worst day, let us remember that GOD HAS IT-all of IT. It may not seem like it sometimes, but the King of kings is still on His throne.

So, what if we begun to grow the habit of thankfulness? Counting our blessings? Notice my use of the word "habit" as opposed to feeling "thankful". People have suggested making lists of answered prayers and such, to have an easy record of the good things in life to be grateful for. I don't have such a list, but with my tendency to be dissatisfied, maybe I should have one.I need to frequently be reminded-and so do you-of the good things; the better situations in life. It is healthier for both your body and soul. Ungratefulness, discontent, complaining and all those vices only diminish the life in us: our bodies and hearts can only tolerate such poison for a while before all begins to surface, to our own detriment.

Yes, I am unlike the apostle Paul, who rejoiced and wrote words of encouragement to others while he himself sat in a cold prison dungeon, but like him, I am making the decision to look on the brighter side of things. What else is there for me to do? Jesus Christ himself pointed out in the gospel of Matthew 5:27, that none of us can add even a single day to our lives by worrying.g Once again, this lesson of being thankful has been renewed in my mind. And all that is left to say is: THANK GOD.