Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays!
It seems that at this time of year, I am often in need of a little attitude adjustment and Thanksgiving is the exact catalyst I need to make it happen. Not sure why I get a bit cranky this time of year: Maybe it's the shorter days. Maybe it's the cooler temperatures and the lack of color in the world. I'm sureit has much to do with the lack of sunlight. Whatever it is seems to affect me in such a way that I find myself feeling cranky and complaining a whole lot more.
Thank God the Thanksgiving Holiday comes just in time to remind me what's really making me cranky. I have slipped into focusing on the negative and not actively seeking to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It happens so easily if we're not carefully guarding our hearts. It's because it is our human nature (flesh) to be self-centered and whiney. If we're not purposefully counting our blessings and seeking to be focused on our LORD, we will go into autopilot and begin to whine and complain about every little thing.
Think about it, before we believed in Jesus,we only ourselves or others to thank for anything good we’d gained during theprevious year. Thanksgiving was only, Turkey Day. We were self-centered and aself-centered life is an unhappy life; and life lived in a world without God isa hard life, without a defined purpose.
As Pam Witzemann says in her blog :
"It is difficult to live one’s life in gratitude when life seems to make noreal sense and everything begins and ends with self. My life before Jesus waspainful and filled with burdens too big for me to carry, alone. I falteredoften and when it seemed that the weight of my problems would crush me, Godintervened. When I received the free gift of faith, I found the strength Ineeded to straighten out my life and I no longer carried my burdens, alone. Ifound that, Jesus walked with me, every step of the way."
Yes, faith in Jesus SHOULD be life-changing when it comes to our attitudes! But unless we work at it, unless we dig into scripture about it, unless we pray about it, unless we seek the help and encouragement of other believers, we will likely backslide into displaying an ungrateful, cranky attitude that becomes a very bad witness for our Lord to the world.
An attitude of gratitude in Jesus Christ will equal HAPPINESS!
Nehemiah 8:10
"Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
The truth is; whining and complaining can become a bad habit! Sometimes people don't realize how negative they have become. It can happen slowly over time. BHCC is here to help you change that! Starting this Sunday, Nov. 18th, we'll encourage you to take the Gratitude Challenge!
Want to experience more happiness? Then come join BHCC this Sunday and let us help you discover how to do it through our Gratitude challenge! If you do this challenge, you'll discover more happiness, peace, improved relationships,improved physical health and a huge reduction in anxiety and stress.
What do you have to lose? Think of how much more you have to gain!
See you Sunday! :-)
Love 'n Jesus,
Pastor Lin