Just Another Day in Paradise

Tell me how you wake up each morning. Do you wake up thanking God for all that you have in your life? Do you wonder if you deserve all of the blessings you have been given? Do you think about your physical gifts? Do you think about your spiritual gifts? Or, do you even take time to consider any of it? Has this world rendered you too busy to take the time to consider that God gave you many blessings?

I'm guilty as charged. You see, I wake many mornings worrying more about getting my 4-6 mile run completed before work than I do about anything else. I don't take the time to consider that without some physical strength and endurance I would never be able to do such things. Then I make my way to the office where communication and interaction usually flow from me so effortlessly that I often don't realize how easy it is for me to really interact with those I come in contact with. After work I travel home and I'm usually greeted with two little boys running toward me and giving me hugs around my legs... fighting to be first to get to Daddy. You could say that I have a very blessed life as this scenario repeats itself day in and day out. I'm surrounded by amazing friends and family and until recently a great job.

All that being said I don't focus enough on the blessings I listed above. Do you know where my thoughts tend to drift... you got it... the negative. And why? Why is it that we focus so much on the challenges in our life such as: my job is terrible, I'm too fat, I'm too thin, my kids drive me nuts, why don't I ever seem to have enough money to pay bills, why is it that the mean people always seem to get ahead. Those thoughts sound familiar? I'll bet they do for many of us. And they are all from evil. They are all from sin. They are all from our lack of wisdom to recognize the true blessings we are given.

I'm issuing myself and all of you a personal challenge. The next time you start drifting toward the negative. Think of just one of your blessings that God gives you and pray about it. Thank God for caring enough to give it to you. Let's start a revolution together. A resolution to focus on the positive, focus on our blessings and live not only a life where we recognize all the good, but a life filled with thanksgiving.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3(NIV)

Love in Christ,
Steve