I was listening to Joyce Meyer during the week, and she said, (I paraphrase), if you add up all the things that are wrong in your life and then add up all that’s good, the good will far outweigh the bad. Now this is something that I’ve heard many times before but for some reason that morning it just clicked.
I started thinking about some things that I’m not so happy about and with everything that came to mind, I could think of a reason why I should be grateful for that very thing. As I begun to think about what I was grateful for, my mood started to change. All my complaints, worries and unhappiness were weighing me down and I didn’t even know it. With every genuine thought of gratefulness my attitude and mood was being adjusted.
There’s a verse in the Bible that says ‘in everything give thanks…’ Let’s break that down into three.
1. IN
It says ‘in’ and not ‘for’. What’s the difference? Let’s just say a person gets seriously soaked in the rain. Should that person be thankful that their good shoes are ruined. Their hairstyle is messed up and that their clothes are drenched? No. But should they be thankful that they have 10 other pairs of shoes at home or money to buy a new pair, can they be thankful that they even have hair to be messed up or that they have a home to dry off at and get warm? Yes! It’s all about PERSPECTIVE. We’re not thankful for our problems, we’re thankful irrespective of the problem!
2. EVERYTHING
We like to categorise our issues. In our eyes, some problems are worse than others. So we justify our negative reactions and complaints because we believe that our problems are bad enough to warrant our complaints. This verse encourages us to be thankful in ‘everything’ so there are no exceptions. I get it, life isn’t quite what you wish for it to be but tell me your worst problem and I can guarantee there’s someone who’s got it worse than you.
3. GIVE THANKS
Have an attitude of gratitude! ‘Give thanks’. Find something in your situation that you can be thankful for. Stop complaining so much about everything. Life really isn’t THAT bad. If you can read this I’m assuming you’re alive 🙂 so that right there is something to be thankful for! We can be so ungrateful! Do you know how draining it is to be around someone who is always complaining? Change your attitude! Things will change when the way that you look at things change.
I know that this is easier said than done. And like all lifestyle changes, it takes patience, dedication & commitment. You have to decide for yourself that you no longer want to be an ungrateful complainer. You have to decide that you will see the silver lining in every situation. You have to make a conscious decision and effort to be thankful.
Try this: Start your day off by thinking about all you’re thankful for and end the day by doing the same.
Let me know how being grateful changes your life, because trust me it WILL change your life.
My name is Love and these are my notes.
