Do You Have an "Attitude" or Gratitude?
Monday, May 14, 2012 at 9:26AM ;)
When you're struggling, remember, you can have an "attitude" OR gratitude.
In love, God commands us to choose the later. Why? He knows what's best for us. Therefore, the Bible instructs us: Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting,: Psalm 106:1.
In Revelation 19:5, we read "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." Dr. Gleason Archer explains that the verb tense in this verse is the present imperative verb, a command to keep on doing an action as one's general habit or lifestyle. It is a commitment to a long-term way of doing something.
Have you ever considered if you're being obedient to this command? In other words, is your general habit one of praising God? Or, do you tend to mentally complain, feel sorry for yourself, and be sullen?
God instructs us to praise Him; but not because He's an egomaniac. Rather, managing our thoughts is one of the most important acts we can do. Psychiatrists know this. That is why studies on depression point to the value of cognitive therapy and correcting negative thought patterns with positive ones.
In Genesis 4:6-7, God spoke to Cain about his countenance. He then told Cain, "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and it's desire is for you, but you must master it." At that time, Cain had not yet murdered Abel. But, he obviously ignored God's advise. He continued to mull on how much he hated and resented his brother. His thoughts solidified and consumed him. His thoughts took hold of him instead of him taking hold of his thoughts.
No! Don't Do It!
You don't have to go the way of Cain. You can control your thoughts. David shows us how in the Psalms.
"I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever." Did you notice David repeated himself?
We need the same resolve. Why? His first statement, "I will bless Your name forever" is a nice, long term vision for how to live. But, "Every day I will bless You," is a specific commitment that makes the vision a practical reality: I will bless You TODAY.
Then, David demonstrates how to bless God and how to extol Him.
"Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised. And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate."
Try It. It Works.
I woke up a few mornings ago in a less than cheerful mood. Okay...I was downcast. That's a nice Biblical sounding word; but bottom line, I wasn't happy, upbeat, or thinking great thoughts. BUT, I know what God teaches me about managing my thoughts. So I went to my Bible to reset my mind from my grumpy state to an uplifted state. This is what God teaches us to do. We correct negative thought patterns with positive ones, with the truth. Our day isn't bad. It's good because we have Jesus. Our sullenness fades and is replaced with a peaceful cheerful state of mind as we meditate on God's wonderful works. "Thank You, Lord, for...my husband, children, health, home, rain, friends, work, church, green trees, flowers, beauty of the clouds, and sky that reflect Your majesty. Thank You for Jesus, for saving us from our sins. Thank You for our eternal home in heaven. Thank You for taking care of the details of life, of helping me accomplish what You've placed in my hands and days to do. Thank You for being with me yesterday and today. Thank You for being with me tomorrow. Thank You for...
Will You Choose to Obey God's Command to Praise
God's looking out for you. He has your back and He has your future. We can be like Cain and ignore God's counsel. We can let our negative thoughts control us. Or, we can be like David and make the choice to meditate on God's wonderful works and praise Him. I'm making the choice to join David, not Cain. What about you?
"On the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate." Psalm 145:5.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are Abba Father. I have an inheritance in You. I have a future and a hope. I am not alone. You are a present help in my time of need. You give grace and joy as I turn my eyes heavenward. I love You and thank You. In Jesus's name, Amen.
I'd love to hear from you. What is one of your favorite Psalms or praise Scriptures? You can share it below where it says, "Post A Comment."
;)