Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1-17
Friday night on the 20/20 TV show the topic was on happiness. Studies showed that we, in fact, do have the ability to control our happiness even when our circumstances might not be favorable to making happiness. The studies also showed that we have what is called genitic happiness set points so if things happen to us like winning the lottery, we might be happy for awhile, but then it will wear off and our happiness set point will take back over. They also showed lots of other cases studies of happiness but the interesting thing to me was when they told about folks that spend around 30 minutes each day practicing an attitude of gratitude, either writing lists of things they are grateful for or just saying the things they are grateful for, they are happier!
My my, well, isn’t this the same thing that God has always told us? Isn't this part of what prayer is? The thing the world tells us is to go after material things when we, as Christians, know that true joy comes from knowing and serving the Lord. He wants us to enjoy our life’s journey and is with us to help us all day and all night directing our paths, clearing the way, helping us when we fall, comforting us when we make poor choices or things happen to us that want to rob of us of our joy. Having an attitude of gratitude just confirms what we already know, that every good and perfect thing comes from God.
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.
Ecclesiastes 2:24
Father God, I am thankful for my life today. I praise your name and thank you for my blessings. Thank you for all the comforts I enjoy and for showing me how to better live my life as you would have me live it.
Today I pray special prayers for our church and those that we want to come hear your word. I pray that all the ministry actions we take will fall into the right hands and on the right ears. I pray for Beth as she leads our SS class and for all our class members that we might continue to grow living up to our name Gleaners.
I pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
2 comments:
there has been so much written about this "exercise" lately. it is something we know in our hearts...that we have so much to be grateful for....but sometimes we let everything else overwhelm our expression of it. for me, that is where being quiet each day comes in.....a much needed time to remember.
I pray, I'm grateful, I'm happy...they all go hand in hand. I think the key to happiness is keeping a positive frame of mind about EVERYTHING when at all possible, but of course like most things, it has to begin on the inside and work its way out...and I think that's just where God would have us to look.
Post a Comment