The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (7 page)

Worry and worship are polar opposites, and we would be much happier if we learned to become worshippers instead of worriers. Worry creates an opportunity for the enemy to torment us, but worship (reverence and adoration of God) leads us into His presence, where we will always find peace, joy, and hope.

God created us to worship Him. He wants us to develop a deep, personal relationship with Him and an outrageous love for Him. This kind of love flows from a grateful heart, appreciative of who God is and what He has done.

Don’t waste another day of your life worrying. Determine what your responsibility is and what it is not. Don’t try to take on God’s responsibility. When we do what we can do, God steps in and does what we can’t. So give yourself and your worries to God, worship Him, and begin enjoying the abundant life He has for you.

I thank You, Father, that I can choose to worship You rather than worry about my problems. Help me to see that You are greater than any obstacle I may face, and I can trust You to do in my life what I cannot.

A wise person does not allow the moods of other people to alter theirs.

There is a story of a Quaker man who was walking down the street with a friend when he stopped at a newsstand to purchase a newspaper. The storekeeper was very rude and unfriendly. The Quaker man responded respectfully and was quite kind in his dealing with him. After paying for his paper and continuing to walk down the street, his friend asked, “How could you be so cordial to that man considering the terrible way he was treating you?” The Quaker man replied, “Oh, he is always that way; why should I let him determine how I am going to act?”

This is one of the amazing traits we see in Jesus—He changed people, they did not change Him. I encourage you to follow the example of Jesus. Do what God expects you to do and don’t live under the tyranny of other people’s moods and attitudes.

Father, I thank You that I can be joyful in every circumstance. Today, I choose not to let other people determine how I am going to live. With Your help, I am going to live in joy regardless of the circumstances around me.

When we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving, we close the door to grumbling and complaining—which seem to be ever-present temptations in our lives. The truth is we don’t develop a complaining attitude; we are all born with one. But with God’s help, we can develop and nurture a thankful attitude.

If we practice regularly praising, worshipping, and thanking God, there will be no room for complaining, faultfinding, and murmuring. The Bible says in Philippians 2:14: “Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining…” Complaining opens the door for the devil to cause us trouble, but thankfulness opens the door for God to bless us.

I am grateful, Father, that with Your help I can develop a thankful attitude. I worship You for Your goodness, Your power, and Your might. I choose to be thankful for Your presence in my life rather than grumble and complain about things of the world.

It’s good to occasionally (or perhaps frequently) do something that would be unexpected, something new or “out of the box.” Do something that will surprise people and perhaps stretch you a bit. It will keep your life interesting, and you’ll end up thanking God for your exciting new challenge or adventure.

We are not created by God to merely do the same thing over and over until it has no meaning left at all. God is creative. Just look at the amazing variety in His creation and you will have to agree that His creativity has no end.

In case you haven’t noticed, God frequently changes things up in our lives. Don’t be afraid of change. Go ahead and do some of the things you would like to do but have kept putting off because you have never done them before.

I am grateful, Father, that You make my life fresh and exciting. Each day is a new challenge and an adventure. I thank You that I can be excited about the future ahead of me and I can live a fresh, bold, creative life in You.

Advertising is often geared to make people strive to look the best, be the best, and own the most. If you buy “this” car, you will really be number one! If you buy “this” particular brand of clothes, you will be just like “this” famous star and people will really admire you. The world constantly gives us the impression that we need to be something other than what we are.

Confidence begins with self-acceptance—which is made possible through a strong faith in God’s love and plan for our lives. I believe it is insulting to God when we compare ourselves with others and desire to be what they are. Make a decision to be grateful for the person God made you to be, and then you will never again compare yourself with someone else. Appreciate others for who they are and enjoy the wonderful person you are.

Father, help me to love and appreciate the person You created me to be. I thank You that I don’t have to compare myself to others in order to be accepted. You created me with a unique and wonderful purpose. I’m thankful that to You, I am special and beyond compare.