Our shared blog post today comes from Bert Fulks of Empty Stone Ministry. Click any of the links herein to go straight to the blog.
Yes, we are all rather “done” with politics and the arguing and the division amongst us. This is not a political post, so no worries. Again, we strive to offer blog posts that are refreshing and encourage you to dig deeper in your journey with Christ.
The blog we share today was written at the first of December last year just as we finished with Thanksgiving. The author, Bert Fulks brings up a valid point:
“We have one official day of Thanksgiving. The other 364 days, we’re pretty much a nation of disgruntled malcontents … and we’re one of the richest, most powerful nations in the world.”
One day in which we as a nation side aside to be Thankful. And then the day after comes the frenzy of Black Friday shopping, where many forget about being thankful to be able to go shopping. It’s sad really. But as a Christian, we have lots to be thankful for, the #1 thing being the saving grace of Jesus Christ. When we welcome Christ into our hearts, we are not promised an “easy life,” but having a love given by Christ helps us to navigate our lives better. As we read 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT), Paul writes: “Be thankful in all circumstances.” That means even in the hard times.
The author of today’s shared blog post comments about serving in a teen addiction recovery program where he talks with “Joe”. Joe mentions this gem:
“I keep a list of the good things in my life, and when something bad happens or I get really upset, I pull out my list and read it over and over until I start to feel okay again.”
It’s a good idea each of us can make note of. The author of the blog comments:
The Apostle Paul wasn’t suggesting that you should become one of those nauseating Pollyanna Christians who never knows loss, failure, darkness, and depression. Quite the contrary. His words have a bigger purpose. He was urging us to embrace an attitude of thanksgiving because he knew something two millennia ago that psychologists are just now starting to figure out: unleashed gratitude will run amok through your soul and could potentially destroy everything in your past, your present, and the entire trajectory of your future … all for the better.
That sounds like a life for the better… practicing gratefulness. To read the blog in it’s entirety, please click here.
