The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (37 page)

Learn not to ask yourself how you
feel
about things, but instead ask yourself if doing or not doing something is right for you. This is wisdom, and wisdom is a gift from God to be thankful for. You can choose to live by wisdom and decide to do what you know is right.

There may be a certain thing you want to do badly. It might be a purchase you want to make that you know you cannot afford. Your feelings vote yes, but your heart says no. Tell your feelings they don’t get to vote. They are too immature to vote and will never vote for what is best for you in the long run. Don’t let emotions rule your life and you will enjoy life more.

I am grateful, Father, that You give me the wisdom I need to make healthy, life-giving choices. Instead of giving my emotions the final say, I am going to look to You and to Your Word for direction in my life. Thank You that Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

I wonder how many millions of people think,
I just don’t feel the way I once did about my spouse. I wish I still felt excited about our marriage—that the romantic feelings would come back
. This is when we need to remember: wishing does not do any good; only action changes things.

If you don’t feel you are getting anything out of your marriage, perhaps you are not putting enough into it. We usually give our spouses the unfair and unrealistic responsibility of making us happy rather than being grateful for them and choosing to make them happy. In the process, selfishness causes both of you to be unhappy. But you can change that! If you want your marriage or any other relationship to improve, just start being grateful for that person and try to bless them every chance you get.

Father, thank You for my spouse and for their unique gifts and abilities. Help me to appreciate them and focus on their strengths. Today, I choose to be a blessing and let You take care of everything else.

The Bible teaches that God will lead us by the presence of peace. Thankfully, peace is the umpire in our lives that lets us know if we are in God’s will or out of it. You will not experience peace if God is leading in one direction and you are pulling in another; you will feel frustrated and conflicted.

God will not force you to do what is right, but He will show you what to do if you seek Him and ask for His guidance. Then He will leave the choice to you. If you make right choices, you will reap good results that will cause you to be extremely grateful.

If you really want change in your life, take the step to follow God even if doing so is difficult for you. Be led by peace and trust that His plan for your life is better than you could even imagine.

Thank You, Father, for Your peace that passes all understanding. When I listen for Your voice and follow Your instruction in my life, I know that I will live with a peace and joy beyond compare.

In order to enjoy the present moment and the gifts it contains, we need to have balanced attitudes toward work. Luke 10:38–42 tells the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha.

Martha was overly occupied and too busy (see Luke 10:40). But Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and listened to what He had to say. Martha was distracted with much serving; Mary was thankful Jesus was there and was determined not to miss the beauty of the present moment. And Jesus said that Mary made a better choice than Martha did.

Jesus did not tell Martha not to work; He told her not to be frustrated and have a bad attitude while she worked. Jesus wants us to work hard, but He also wants us to be wise enough to realize when we should stop all activity and not miss the miracle of the moment.

Thank You, Father, for the way You teach me to live my life in balance. Help me to do the work You have given me to do without letting it become a distraction to my relationship with You. Thank You that I can enjoy moments at Your feet each day.

One of the ways
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words
defines “praise” is
telling a tale
or
a narration
. In other words, praising God is simply recounting or telling aloud the great things He has done. Praise is beautiful because it magnifies the goodness of God and strengthens us and all those who hear us, enabling us to deal with some of the more unpleasant things in life.

If we are doing nothing more than sitting at lunch with a friend and speaking about some wonderful things God has done with gratitude in our hearts, we are praising Him. In fact, the Bible says God likes those conversations, and when He hears them, He gets out His book of remembrance and records them (see Malachi 3:16). He does not record our murmuring, grumbling, or complaining, but He records the words we speak when praise is on our lips. Talk to someone today about something good God has done for you!

Father, I am thankful that my relationship with You is not a complicated list of religious rituals. I can praise You simply by telling others about Your goodness. Thank You for Your blessings in my life—I will praise You all day long.