How did you do with creating a gratitude list over the past
five days? It’s difficult to start a new
habit, isn’t it? But did you follow through? Did you find that when you set
your mind to search for things to be thankful for that it didn’t stop, it kept
giving you more and more reasons to praise God? Did you find your eyes opening
to things in your life for which to be thankful? Did those “discoveries” fill
you up? Did they bring you a sense of contentment or even a bubbling over?
Gratitude is a virtue that keeps on benefitting us. It helps us prioritize, determining what is
really important. It causes our hearts to want to seek God to thank Him and praise
Him as He deserves!
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” (Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV)
As we continue to work on developing the FEELING of
gratitude, which leads us to SAYING how grateful we are to God for His daily
load of benefits (Psalm 68:19), we need to be watchful of the things that come
into our minds that prevent our gratitude from developing properly.
One sneaky thing I have found that will keep you from both
feeling and expressing gratitude is COMPARISON.
Comparing yourself to others and finding THEM lacking, leads
to a false and arrogant gratitude (think about the Pharisee’s “gratitude list”
in Luke 18:11-12, ‘Thank you that I’m not like THEM!’)
Comparing yourself to others and finding YOURSELF always lacking
can lead to apathy. With dwindling self-esteem, comparison reinforces the lie
that you are not yet enough, that maybe you never will be. You determine that
you have been “destined” to simply “get by”. Oh, you will need to be happy for
others and do what you can to assist others in finding success, but that
success is not meant for you. This readily accepted lie imprisons your heart in darkness, far from
the sunbeams of gratitude, soon your heart becomes blind to your unique
God-given talents and abilities and your abundant daily blessings, which God
wants you to use to His glory (consider both Matthew 25:14-30 and Proverbs
23:17-19).
Comparison drills away at your well of gratitude, eventually
boring a gaping hole that, if not stopped, will drain you completely of any
feelings of thankfulness. The scary part is that you may not even be aware of
its damage until you really pay attention to your thoughts/words and realize
that your continual complaining has corroded your contentment.
How can you stop comparing yourself to others?
Here are few things that I have helped me:
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2 NKJV)
- Meditate on Ephesians 1:3-14 – think on ALL the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ
- Think on Matthew 6:19-34 – God provides ALL we need (also 2 Corinthians 9:8)
- Ponder long on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 – Godliness with contentment is great gain
Don't envy the world - read and contemplate Psalm 37
Recall ALL of God's promises to your mind - they are for you, to aid you! He will follow through on every one of them!! God IS faithful, TRUST HIM!!
Remember that your unique talents and abilities are needed in the kingdom! You are set in the body and are a necessary part in it, stop comparing yourself to other parts, stop wishing to be another part, simply do YOUR PART (1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and Ephesians 4:14-16)!
can do a better job at being you than you!" (Anonymous)
Keep growing your gratitude list. Be prayerful about the
things that you have written there. Focus on your thoughts, are they full of
complaint or contentment? Weed out comparison and do what YOU can to use your
blessings to be a benefit to others, nothing is too little when done with love
(Mark 9:41)!
“As each has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11 NKJV)
You can do it! So can I!!
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