Expect that God’s grace will touch and change your life
“If anyone could tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness and perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. For it is certain that whatever seeming commodity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing”
—William Law, 18th century minister
Early one weekend morning, I was sitting outside on my front porch and I read a story in the Bible. It was from Acts 16, where Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. They were locked up, their feet were fastened and they were confined to a cell. Paul and Silas’s circumstances were grim, and their future appeared to be hopeless. However, with boldness and confidence, they kept their focus on trusting in and praising God.
Verse 25 says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.”
One moment, things looked bleak for Paul and Silas. Yet swiftly, in the next instant, God moved and the chains that were holding Paul and Silas back were broken off of them and the prison walls came tumbling down. The power of God altered the situation. Do you need a miracle? Maybe, you find yourself at the end of your hope. Perhaps, you’re confined in the chains of the past. Or, exhausted, you might be bound by shackles of doubt and you may think, “There is no reason to count my blessings or to praise God.”
But if you ‘rejoice evermore’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16) lifting your voice in praise and thanksgiving, God will hear you and He will help you. And soon, similar to Paul and Silas, you will experience a tremendous breakthrough, and you’ll be on your way to victory.
Thus, exhale worries and cares and inhale love and thankfulness remembering that God is greater than any problem you might face. God has guided you this far, and He will continue to guide you. So embrace an attitude of gratitude even when life makes no sense at all and keep being grateful for all your gracious gifts. Let the petty annoyances go. By rehashing the little frustrations, they can grow into big frustrations and, as a result, discourage you. Similar to a familiar phone number that you call often, if you keep repeating other people’s faults or mulling over how unfair situations have been, then discouragement, like that phone number, will soon become second-nature. Turn fears into positive thoughts. And choose not to live bitter, negative, or dissatisfied. Regardless of what’s happening around you, there’s always a reason to be grateful. Hence, continue to praise God. For praise is a powerful force against discouragement. Giving thanks and praise can soothe your nerves and open your heart to new possibilities and hopeful expectation. Thankfulness can instantly change your attitude about yourself and your future.
You might not be where you want to be right now. However, you can be thankful that as you persist, each day you are moving closer toward success.
Possibly, you were wronged. Well, let it go and progress forward to living the abundant life God wants you to live. Trust that God will move favorably in your behalf.
Or maybe you have had failures or made mistakes in the past. But this is a new day, so be grateful that you can dream new dreams, set new goals, and endeavor to achieve them. God can give you a second chance.
Start every morning by making a mental or written list of three or four things for which you are thankful. Then, several times throughout the day, close your eyes for a few minutes of quiet gratitude, revisiting that ‘thankful list.’ For God has promised that when you bring to mind daily the benefits He has sent your way, your strength will be renewed like the eagle.
Then, tell yourself repeatedly, “I’m strong,” “I’m valuable,” “I’m gifted,” “God has a plan for me,” and “The future is bright.”
• Believe situations will be better, and they will be better.
• Think success, and you’ll have success.
• Talk as though you’re blessed, and you will be blessed.
Some time ago, I received an email from a gentleman who wrote about the importance of praising God and thankfulness. He wrote, “When I used to hear people talk about the great importance of being thankful all the time, and in all circumstances, I used to be very skeptical. But I kept noticing that the happiest people were constantly expressing thankfulness and appreciation for the people and things in their lives. So, I took a chance and tried it.”
The letter continued, “I just made a decision to be thankful every day, several times a day, for whatever people and things in my life. And I noticed that it did bring me happiness. I expressed thanks for my car, my computer, my apartment, my shoes, my teeth, my eyes, my hands, my feet, my health, and so on. Then, something good happened; I started feeling much better every day. Moreover, I saw that God will smooth the path to our achieving what we currently don’t have if we appreciate what we already do have. So now I see that thankfulness to God is the miraculous path to happiness for today and tomorrow and all our tomorrows.”
As with this gentleman, let us be thankful and look for the best in all circumstances, taking the time to thank God, bringing to mind His love and faithfulness. Let’s appreciate ourselves and those around us. Let’s focus on all that is right in our lives. Gratitude enlarges the heart and allows even more goodness to enter it. Thus, helping us to create the future we desire.
When my friend, Michelle takes her two-year-old daughter, Lucy, for a walk at the park, there are banks of wildflowers growing along the pathway. And Lucy stops and smells every flower.
Let’s do like Lucy and savor life more completely. Appreciate all the good things around you. Help others. Give out love and compassion. Be comforted and reassured. Walk with God and trust Him in all things. And as you do, God will pour out His blessings in even greater portions.