The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (4 page)

Patience is extremely important for people who want to glorify God and enjoy their lives. If we are impatient, the situations we encounter in life will certainly cause us to react emotionally.

The next time you have to wait on something or someone, instead of just reacting, try reminding yourself,
Getting upset will not make this go any faster, so I might as well enjoy the wait
. Then perhaps say out loud, “I am developing patience as I wait, so I am thankful in this situation.” If you do that, you will be acting on the Word of God rather than reacting to the unpleasant circumstance.

Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to develop in your life. Don’t merely think about how hard and frustrating it is, but think about how blessed you can be as you learn the art of waiting well.

Father, I am grateful that You have planted patience in my spirit and that through You, I can react properly to any situation. Help me today, and every day, to exercise patience in all things.

How do you react to people who are rude? Do you respond in love as the Word says we should, or do you join them in their ungodly behavior? I think there are a lot of rude and unpleasant people in the world today largely because of the stressful lives most people live.

We can be very thankful that we know the Word of God and have Him in our lives to help us and comfort us—to keep us from falling into the traps that stress can cause. But we must remember that a lot of people in the world who are difficult to get along with don’t have that. Jesus said that we have done nothing special if we treat people well who treat us well, but if we are kind to someone who would qualify as an enemy, then we are doing well (see Luke 6:32–35).

People are everywhere, and not all of them are pleasant. Will you act on the Word of God and love them for His sake?

Father, when I am in a situation that requires me to deal with a hard-to-get-along-with person, let me pray for them rather than react to them emotionally. Thank You for giving me the grace to be kind to everyone—no matter how they act toward me.

The Bible teaches us to always believe the best of every person.

However, if we merely let our thoughts lead us, they usually tend toward negativity. Sadly, the flesh without the influence of the Holy Spirit is dark and negative. Thankfully, we don’t have to walk in the flesh, but we can choose to be led by the Spirit (see Romans 8:5). When we choose to let the Spirit lead us, we will see the best in other people, and we will be filled with life and peace in our souls.

I encourage you to begin seeing other people as children of God rather than as adversaries. Decide to look past their faults and see them as God sees them. Be grateful that the Spirit can help you see the best in every person in your life.

I thank You today, Father, that You forgive my sins and don’t hold them against me. I ask You for Your strength in doing the same thing for others.

Trusting God allows us to enter His rest, and rest is a place of peace where we are able to enjoy our lives while being confident God is fighting our battles.

God cares for us; He will solve our problems and meet our needs, and thankfully, we can stop thinking and worrying about them. I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to begin learning a new way to live—a way of living that is without worry, anxiety, and fear.

This is the time to begin believing and saying, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry! I will not give in to fear or anxiety. God is the source of my confidence.” The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.

Father, thank You that I don’t have to worry! I trust You to take care of me and to always be with me.

Do you believe God wants you to enjoy your life? Well, He does! In fact, part of God’s will is for you to enjoy every moment of it. I know this is true because His Word says so in many places.

King Solomon, who is considered to have been very wise, wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:24: “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.”

Solomon said to make yourself enjoy the good of your labor. We should learn to value enjoyment because it is vital to being a balanced and healthy person. This does not mean that all of life becomes a huge party or a vacation, but it does mean that through the power of God we can learn to be thankful for and enjoy all of life.

Father, I am grateful that Jesus came so that I might have abundant life. When times are tough and my joy feels low, help me to remember that You have promised I can enjoy my life. Thank You for the joy, peace, and security I find in You.