A New Way of Thinking

Why is it the most elementary way of thinking is sometimes the hardest lesson to learn? Practicing thankfulness will bring you joy...God has been speaking this to me for several months now in my time spent with Him.  I can't tell you the number of times I have read 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," in the past 3 months!  (Thinking I may need to plaster it all over my house?)  It's obviously a lesson I'm needing to learn at the moment!

I used to think praying for understanding would bring me joy.  Through God's understanding I might have peace which could open the door to joy.  Then it hit me...Solomon was the wisest of men, God blessed him with understanding and he couldn't think his way through to peace!  God never intended us to understand because we are not capable of it.  We can never fathom his ways.
There will always be challenges and trials that we will pray for understanding for, once we overcome one another arises; it's a never ending battle.  One that can wear on the soul.  Being thankful takes our mind OFF our circumstance and ON to Christ which brings us peace and joy.  It was never our job to 'fix' our circumstances and battle our way through our trials, it's God's.

The past few months have been filled with a lot of heartache, being stuck in the past, and Satan tearing me down.  I have read over and over again 1 Thess. 5:18, then God gives me a challenge in my devotion today..."See how many times you can thank Me daily, this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings." 

So today I start.  I know it's the 'thing to do' in the month of November, but I truly believe that thankfulness can open my mind up to seeing what God has blessed me with, which in turn opens the door of my heart to Joy!

I'm not saying each day I will post a thankful thought, (that's just setting myself up for failure...we all know that won't happen) but each day I will be thankful and take time to verbalize thanks to Him, and when I get a chance will share my thankfulness on my blog.  Maybe you can join me and we can share in the great blessings of God together through living the life He called us to live through Christ.

So here goes...