I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. ~Psalm 34:1 (KJV)
Not everything life throws our way makes us feel good. But we can face it all with joy if we make up our mind to. Only we can choose our attitude. Oh, we might think it’s not our fault when we allow ourselves to get out of peace, but in reality, our attitude can only be affected when we allow it to. We have the ability to turn on our happy face whenever we want and we tend to do it for those to whom we are not as close to, but to our family and friends, we can be grumpy and rude very easily because they are within our comfort zone. What would your day look like if you walked in complete love and forgiveness no matter what the offence or how many times it was committed? How peaceful of a people could we be if we didn’t allow anything to get under our skin and fester until we had a negative disposition. When we approach the day with a thankful attitude, we are doing what you would call “starting on the right foot” or “putting our best foot forward”. Our footing is very important for our stability and as Christians the whole world is looking for us to show them that we are stable in every situation because our faith is strong knowing that God is with us. A grateful heart gives us stability in an unstable world. In the book of Ephesians, we read about the armor of God. We are told to put on the armor of God. To put something on is an intentional action. Part of that armor is shoes, and we are told in Ephesians 6:15 “Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace.” (GW) Good news gives peace, bad new gives anxiety, and anxiety can create a bad attitude. We need to watch what we are talking about if we want to keep a good attitude because what comes out of our mouth has a direct impact on our peace.
Don’t let your circumstances make you lose sight of how blessed you are and especially don’t let someone else’s attitude or actions make you lose sight of the wonderful things the Lord has in store for you today. Sometimes we have to make it a priority to cultivate a thankful heart and hold onto our peace, but it is always worth the effort. To cultivate means to improve by labor or study. It means to refine and improve by correction of faults coupled with an enlargement of good qualities. When was the last time you knew you were going into a confrontational situation, and you made up your mind you were going to hold on to your peace no matter what happened trusting in God to be the Lord of the outcome? Our peace and joy are directly determined by our ability to walk in love. Remember today that there are many people without a house to clean or a job to get up and go to. Some don't have the health to do what they need to do, much less what they want. The truth is if you are living in the USA, you have a lot more reasons to be thankful than you are probably even aware of, even in the direst of circumstances. God wants us to look at the big picture, the one He sees. Sure, life can be irritating, if we let it. Or we can approach it with a thankful heart. Which will you choose today?
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
What are you allowing to get under your skin today?
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