Life is so hard, often times so hard that we forget to thank our Lord and Savior. To give him the appreciation he very much deserves and needs to hear from us. Jesus might have suffered great pain so we don't have to suffer at the hand of sin but he doesn't expect us to go through life being negligent in our appreciation. Sure we may wake up in the morning and say the same prayer we say day after day, repeat the same words we utter the same day at meal times but are we really giving thanks to the Lord or are we saying these prayers because we have become accustomed to saying them? The Lord asks that we remember him at all times. That the first thing we think about in the morning be him and that all other things that cross our minds should do so with our Father in mind. This is why so many people feel an absence of God in their lives. Instead of living for God they expect God to live for them. We often let our troubles build up and upon our backs until the weight becomes so unbearable that we are forced down to our knees by the sheer weight of sin, hate and other troubles. Weight that could be lifted almost immediately if we stopped trying to get God to live for us and started living for God. Weight that could be lifted if we stop expecting our Lord to save us when we get too deep in our problems and troubles. We should not be forced upon our knees by the weight of the world because Jesus Christ has taken the weight of the world and promised to bear it for us. Through faith and living FOR God we can all have access to a weight free life, a life empty of pain and empty of suffering. A life when put to the challenge can stand strong and upright like the most beautiful flower in the garden.
An example of a daily life living for God should go a little something like this:
Wake up "Thank you Lord God for another beautiful day of life"
See our children for the first time in the AM: "Thank you Lord God for another day with these beautiful blessings"
Have breakfast: "Thank you Lord God for the nourishment to get through this day in health"
Get dressed: "Thank you Lord God for the clothes you put on my back so that I may not get cold"
Walk out the door for work: "Thank you Lord God for the means to get to work and a job to go to so that I may provide for the family you have so graciously blessed me with."
Come home from work: "Thank you Lord God for the roof over my head, that I may have shelter from the storm and comfort after a long hard day at work."
and so on and so on....
A life of living for God should not just consist of the same monotonous prayer we say daily but of a days worth of thankfulness. It is being truly thankful that will keep us from devaluing the life we have been blessed with. It is through thankfulness that we will always be reminded that even though we might have troubles and challenges we still have God on our side because we ALL have blessings in our lives. And it is through thankfulness that we always remember who is the most important being in our entire existence, our Lord God and the Savior Jesus Christ. Because our faith is so often discouraged we tend to become overwhelmed by daily struggle even though it is promised that if you live according to the Gospel we will be overwhelmed with greatness and be able to overcome all struggles. This is another thing thankfulness is good for, it is good for allowing us to always keep faith in our Heavenly Father so that we can live the promised life. Isn't that what we all want, to live in everlasting peace? Everlasting peace is promised to all of those willing to reach out to the Lord and take it. The guidebook to living in everlasting peace is the same book you take with you to church service on Sundays or for some Saturdays, the Bible. We should all keep this wonderful book with us at all times to read when life gets tough because the bible is filled with loving words from our Father so that we might get through this life.
Speaking of which I challegne whoever comes across this page to open up your bible right now and start reading from Genesis all the way through the New Testament. Read it, study it and pray when it leaves you confused, joyful, sad and overwhelmed so that the truth of it's words will fill your soul. Once you are done reading it, read it again because what you read the first time will say different things the second. And if you are thinking to yourself you will start this challenge after you finish reading whatever meaningless book you are reading at the moment, ask yourself why you are putting this Author above your God and why your Jealous God might have just gotten angry with you. Then put that meaningless book in a drawer and follow the path of your heart and your conscience which is your God leading you to do the right thing. It is my promise and the promise of God that if you do so you will be filled with the great love of the Spirit ten fold because his words are holy and blessed.
Psalm 97:12 Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, And give thanks to His holy name.
With Love Always,
Your Sister in Christ
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