I've heard it said that happy people aren't happy because their life is easy or better than most people's lives, but because they choose to be happy. They might still face a lot of trials and hardships, but they choose to be grateful. You see, gratitude leads to contentment, and contentment leads to joy. The more you see all you have to be grateful for and all that God has blessed you with, the more you will be content with your life even when it's hard or not what you had dreamed. And the more content you become the more joyful a person you'll be.
There's a lot of beauty in the every day ordinary and little things that we so often miss. There's a lot of things we have to be grateful for that we so often overlook and take for granted. If we had eyes to see these things, we might find ourselves growing in gratitude and contentment.
Let's look at a few of these things.
Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. "
God has blessed us with spiritual blessings such as abundant grace, reconciliation, restoration, mercy, His goodness and faithfulness to us, and His transforming work in our hearts! We would do well not to forget this, but to give thanks to God for these undeserved gifts every day!
God has also blessed us with His beautiful creation. Through creation God manifests His goodness, His faithfulness, His beauty, His majesty, His kindness, His power, His wisdom, and His creativity. We can be grateful for these things and be reminded of our great Creator through them!
The sunset, the stars, the sunshine, the wind, the rain, mist, streams of water, vitamins and minerals, oceans, rolling hills, mountains, deserts, canyons, caves, tulips, daisies, weeping willows, lilacs, poppies, eucalyptus leaves, herbs, turtles, coral reefs, butterflies, fireflies, pandas, puppies, ducks, moose, birds singing in the morning, fluffy white clouds, and, of course, mankind. All these things point to their mighty and awesome God and Creator!
God has also blessed us by giving us families and friends. He made us as relational beings. And He provides us with amazing people in our lives! He has given believers the church so that we can worship Him together, fellowship with one another, and encourage each other. We don't have to go through life alone. We're not meant to. We were made for community.
We have to remember this and remember to love those God places in our lives. Let's not get distracted by pride, selfishness, discouragement, and self-pity that we forget to see the amazing moments we have with the people in our lives. Let's embrace discipleship, humility, vulnerability, accountability, and service. Let's be outward focused and look for ways we can be a blessing in the lives of others. Let's enjoy the moments God gives us with these people and not take them for granted. Let's not let jealousy, anger, or comparison keep us from missing out on amazing moments. Let's not let fear keep us from growing in our relationships. But let's love others selflessly and seek to point others to the gospel so that they might be encouraged!
Let's choose to see the bright side of things. To see what God might be teaching us instead of complaining about the situation. To see an opportunity instead of a burden. To see how we can be refined instead of running from anything that is hard. To see the heart of others and to have compassion on them instead of criticizing.
These things are things we can be grateful for EVERY day. But it's a choice. We have to choose to see these things and be content with them. If you're not content now, you most likely won't be even if you get that thing you are longing for now. We have to start by being content and grateful now, and it will develop into a lifelong pursuit of seeking to find joy in Christ!
Thank God right now for all you have to be grateful for and ask Him to help you see those things in the coming days. Pray for a content spirit no matter what circumstances you face. Pray that He will bless you with joy that is found only in Him.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
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