Count Your Blessings

"...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18

Do you ever grumble or complain? Do you ever pity yourself for not having the life you dreamed you would have ? Do you ever wish for different circumstances?

I believe we all do.... but I also believe we must be careful what you wish for. Everything can change in an instant. Those things or people that may seem so displeasing to you today could be taken away suddenly.

I would wager that our attitudes (our hearts) are actually the issue and not the people or things that we are grumbling about. How can I make such a bold statement? Because I know the sinfulness of my own heart and how it discolors my world when I give way to it's deceptions.

Sometimes I play a little game when I am in a discolored state of mind. I stop and imagine the reality of life without that person. Stopping to take stock of all the little everyday ways my life is connected to theirs and how very different it would be with them. Things like laughter, the sound of a voice, a shared place or experience, just knowing they are in the world somewhere and you can call them.

This exercise may sound very self centered but it is really an attempt to change my mindframe from grumbling to gratitude in the here and now. To realize the blessings and gifts God has given me moment by moment especially in the little things.

An example might be cleaning the kitchen for the fifth time today and grumbling about the people who keep causing the mess...again! Count your blessings: you are not alone, your family is still here on this earth sharing life with you (whatever the state of cleanliness might be). Is there laughter and love in your home? Do you have food in your cupboards and a roof over your head? Be thankful you have a kitchen... Imagine losing your house to fire, you'd wish you had that dirty kitchen back.

To be thankful in the mess and irritations of life is to be aware that God's grace is in every moment of life if we would but just be willing to see it.

Help me Lord to see Your sovereign and gracious hand even in the messiness of life. Grant me the ability to be thankful in every circumstance, to be obedient to Your will. Amen.

A Great Exercise in Praise

When I lay down to sleep and the thoughts in my mind are tumbling around like old shoes in a dryer I need something to bring my mind to rest. Here's one of my favorite things to do:

Think on the attributes and names of God and Christ in alphabetical order! (You know, I don't usually get past M before I fall asleep.) Here are just a few ideas that come to mind.... hopefully I won't fall asleep!
I'd love to hear other attributes that you come up or even other "slow your mind" exercises :)

A- awesome, Alpha, Adonai, Abba, author (of our salvation)
B - beautiful, benevolent, blessed
C- Creator, counselor, cornerstone
D - deliverer
E - everlasting, eternal, Elohim, El Elyon
F - Father, faithful, fortress, forgiving, friend
G - gracious, good, God
H- holy,
I - indescribable, infinite, invisible, immutable
J - just, justifier, judge, jealous, Jehovah
K - King of Kings
L- Lord of Lords, loving, living, longsuffering, Lamb of God, lovely
M - Master, majestic, magnificent, merciful, Messiah
N - near (to those who are His)
O - Omega, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
P - perfect, patient, powerful, Prince of Peace, protector
Q - Qedosh Yisrael (had to look this one up)
R - (El) Roi, Rock of Ages, restorer, righteous
S - Savior, sovereign, self-existent, Shepherd
T - trustworthy
U - undeniable, unchanging
V - victorious
W - wonderful, wise
X - Xcellent ;)
Y - Yahweh
Z - zzzzz zzzzz.......

Ephesians 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places with Christ."

Jesus Christ has blessed us in one simple completed action- acting for our good as He sees what we need most not what we desire. That blessing specifically pertains to every regenerate, spiritual blessing (to be declared as indwelt by God and thereby fully satisfied) in the heavenly realm.

Our blessings are much higher and much more enduring than this life and world. They operate and exist outside of the temporal realm. These blessings are immeasurable and eternal. They do not hinge on our performance but on His good pleasure to do it in order to conform us to His image and present us faultless before the throne.

Praise be to God Who alone is able to do this!