The challenge: to be thankful

I believe we should be thankful each and everyday of our lives not just at Thanksgiving time.  We should be daily thanking our Savior for all that we do have.

But what if you say Amy, I can’t really think of much I am thankful for this year.  Maybe it was a bad year, maybe you lost a loved one,  maybe you are just in a deep depressive state and can’t think of anything to be thankful for, or maybe you are in a state of self pity.  Whatever the reasons, you need to remember these words:

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

That verse means that we give thanks in the good times and in the bad times.  It is really easy to give God the glory and praise when things are going good.  Its great to say, “Look what the Lord has done.”  But try saying that when you are going through a big struggle in your life.  Maybe its a relationship problem, maybe its personal addictions, maybe it is something even you or I cannot fathom.  What about those times?  In the midst of troubled times we need to still give God the glory.

Why make the change:

What is something we gain from going through hard times??

STRENGTH

Have you ever heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.”  That is so true.  God does test us.  Job was tested by God.  He remained faithful and steadfast always thanking God.  In the end, Job was doubly rewarded. In the same way, we, too, will grow stronger, and receive a great reward from God if we hold true to him, and are thankful for the hard times.

One of the greatest rewards is being identified with Jesus Christ, and when we suffer, all the while being thankful, we are taking Christ’s attitude, and people will see it! Later, we will be able to help others because of the strength that God gave us because of the hard struggles.

Isn’t that so true?  Isn’t it great to come across another mother who has gone through the same struggles as you are currently going through?  Or maybe you can come across a blog that fits your circumstances in your life.  There are blogs for everything, we are encouraging one another on a HUGE level.  I am so thankful for the technology that we do have to be able to share and to be encouraged by other woman.

• Did you know that if you can afford to buy a premium cup of coffee everyday you are living better than nearly half of the worlds population???

• Did you know that if you can purchase a cheeseburger from Mcdonalds everyday than you are living better than 1/4 of the worlds population?

• If you wake up at night and are able to flip on your light switch to see in your home you are better than 1/4 of the world who does not live with electricity.

• 80% of the worlds population lives on less than $10 a day.

• If you are able to have a glass of clean drinking water today, there are 1 billion people that do not have that privilege.

• If you can read my blog, or others, you are doing better than the billion, Yes BILLION people who entered the 20 the century who were unable to read or sign their names.

• Did you know that less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was enough to put every child into school by the year 2000. Sadly, it remained simply as an initiative.

How to make the change:

When times are tough, start stating things you are thankful for.  I am sure that most of us can use any number of the above references I posted.  There is ALWAYS something we can be thankful for.  It is a choice, one that will decide what type of day you will have, what type of person you will become, what type if influence you will make on the world.

What is your choice?

What are you thankful for?