The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (69 page)

I believe one of the best ways to enjoy the present moment and avoid undue stress is to refuse to let every little thing upset you. In other words, choose your battles, and don’t make mountains out of molehills.

Before you devote time, energy, and emotion to an issue or a situation, ask yourself two questions. First, ask yourself how important it is; and second, ask yourself how much of your time, effort, and energy is really appropriate for you to put into it.

Know what really matters in life, be grateful for these things, and focus on them. Learn to discern the difference between major matters and minor matters. Life has plenty of strain without adding anything more. When you are tempted to take on a project, step back first and decide if it’s worth what it will require of you.

Father, I am thankful that You give me the wisdom to discern between things that really matter and things that don’t. I pray that You will help me learn to let unimportant things go. Thank You that I can save my time and energy for those things that are truly important.

To fully understand all the different facets of love, we must understand there are two kinds of love: the God-kind of love and man’s love.

This unfailing, infinite, unconditional love is the love God has for you every day! Be grateful for His love; celebrate His love; and be secure in life because you know you have the unconditional love and acceptance of your heavenly Father.

Father, help me to celebrate Your perfect, unconditional love for me today. I thank You that Your love is a higher love than man’s love, and I am grateful that You extend that love to me every single day.

Faith is a powerful force that we have access to and should be very thankful for. When we live by faith, we release God to do amazing things for us and through us. Faith is the leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness (see Colossians 1:4). We can come to God in childlike faith, simply believing His Word and placing our faith in Him to do what He has promised.

Some people say that they have no faith, but that is not true. We all have faith, but we may not choose to put it in God. When you sit in a chair, you have faith that it will hold you up. When you deposit money in the bank, you have faith that you will be able to go back and get it when you need it. What, or whom, are you placing your faith in?

I urge you not to put your faith in something unstable and shaky, but put it in God Who is a solid Rock and never changes. He is faithful and will always do what He promises to do.

Father, I am thankful that You have given me a measure of faith. I release my faith in You and trust You to always meet my needs and take care of me. Thank You for Your goodness and Your love.

The verse above (Nehemiah 4:14) shows us Nehemiah as a strong and wise leader. Not only did he seek and rely on God, he also knew that the people needed to be ready to fight in the strength of the Lord.

I want to echo Nehemiah’s words to you today: Fight for your home! Fight for your children! Fight for your right to live free from guilt and condemnation! Fight for your right to live under the grace of God and not be bound to legalism! Fight for your right to be happy! Fight for the dreams God has put in your heart! Fight for what is important to you! As Paul told Timothy, we need to fight the good fight of faith. That means to hold on, don’t give up, and above all that you do, trust God because He is fighting for and with you.

Refuse to settle for anything less than everything God has for you, and be thankful that with God on your side, there is no way you can lose the fight.

Father, I am thankful that You give me the strength and courage to fight for what is important in my life. No matter how big the opposition may seem, I thank You that You will give me the victory in Christ Jesus.

God gives us the weapons we need to win every battle we face. God’s Word is a sword for us, and we are able to wield it against the enemy. Our swords will not do any good if we keep them in their sheaths, just as a Bible won’t help us if it just sits on a shelf gathering dust. To use our swords is to know, believe, and speak the Word of God.

If you wake up one morning and feel you want to give up, use your sword by saying: “I will not give up! I am thankful that God has plans to give me a future and a hope, and I am going to keep pressing on in faith so I can experience those plans” (see Jeremiah 29:11). God gives us weapons of warfare so we can use them. If you want to win, you will have to remain active. Passivity and wishing never win the battle.

I thank You, Father, that You have given me Your Word and that I can use it to win the victory. Help me to remember to lean on Your Word rather than my own strength. I am grateful for Your promises that sustain me through every battle.