President Obama's State of the Union speech last night was phenominal! After listening to that speech if you were not inspired and grateful to live the USA somethin is wrong with you. We live in the greatest place on earth. The United States of America!
After listening for months to the doom and gloom rhetoric coming from the media we have taken our eyes off the ball. We are Americans! We live in a country founded on the principals of God. There is nothing we can't do or overcome. We have always rebounded and regrouped. This country has been abundantly blessed and will continue to be so. We need to stop being so fearful and thank God for the things we still have.
Even with the harsh economic news - jobless rates up and the stock market down - we can still find a lot to be grateful about.
Why, then, is it so difficult to say thanks? We are often focused on ourselves - Galileo may have proved that the earth revolved around the sun but most of us secretly believe that the world itself revolves around us. It is sometimes hard to pull out of that orbit and become more aware of the contributions of others. And we all tend to take good things for granted. Humans instinctively pay more attention to threats to their safety than they do to situations of security and pleasure. We are less likely to notice supportive behaviors, so positive acts are often ignored.
Other times we think that, by recognizing family members for their generosity, they are less likely to notice what they could appreciate about us. Actually, expressing gratitude leads to positive effects for both the sender and the receiver. But any change in behavior is difficult - and establishing life-long habits takes conscious repetitions. It may be hard to make the commitment to building this new skill, but it is well worth the effort.
Expressing gratitude not only makes others feel better, it also benefits you and your mood. When you focus on what you are grateful for you gain a wide range of benefits. These include sounder sleep, enhanced self-esteem, increased levels of contentment and improved connections with the world around you. Not a bad outcome - especially for a Sandwiched Boomer caught in the midst of parents growing older and children growing up. According to Willie Nelson, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."
You need to become aware yourself of what you are thankful for before you can begin to acknowledge the part others play. Here are some steps to help you get started:
1. Begin to consciously notice what brings you joy. Awareness is the first step toward creating change. Set aside time to participate in the process of experiencing and acknowledging your gratitude.
2. Count your blessings . Each evening, note three things that happened during the day for which you are thankful. Be specific as you describe what happened to you. It could be a loving conversation with your partner, a hug from your teenage son, a lunch date with your mother.
3. Re-live and savor each of these events. Spend time re-creating in your mind the happiness of the experience. You will feel your body becoming more relaxed, your emotions more positive and your thoughts more focused. The joys of life are not only in present activities but also in remembering pleasurable occasions.
4. Think about what you did to open yourself to these moments. Then decide to direct your actions to include more of these delights in your life. Recognizing your own personal power will strengthen your belief in yourself as well as your willingness to consider the part others play in your happiness.
5. Realize why this piece of good fortune came your way. It will help you identify the people you're grateful to have in your life. You can then thank them for playing a part in improving your world.
Deciding to focus on giving thanks means a whole new mindset. As Albert Schweitzer put it, "To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude." When you follow these steps you can act on the gratitude you experience and live a rich life no matter what the economic environment.
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David was a master at encouraging himself in the Lord, strengthening himself in the Lord. God provided David the motivational tool of His Word and David used it prolifically.
David would rehearse (recall out loud) what God had said and what God had done. With this he would strengthen his own heart and the hearts of those around him. And much of what David would recall is what God had said:
Psalm 119:49-50
Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.
David found life in God’s Word. His Word IS life! David turned trouble into opportunites for one more long, deep drink of the life of God in His Word. Through this, he was strengthened and encouraged all the days of his life.
When Things Were Tough
David knew that no matter what (Remember Mizpah? 1Samuel 30:6), God would set things right again. The whole history of David is of God doing that very thing over and over and over. Need we wonder how David kept going through all the trials he endured? Repeatedly he sought the Lord in His strength, recalled His mighty deeds, and remembered the Words God had spoken. David had a God-inspired motivational program going that brought him through chaos into victory.
1Samuel 30:6
Now Davis was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened (encouraged) himself in the Lord his God
So, no matter how bad the situation became, David would turn to the Lord and what the Lord had said. God’s word brought him life and David could rise to his feet strong, courageous, established, fortified in the Word of Truth and mighty in the purposes of God.
We have the same opportunities today!
In the closing chapter of David’s life, he praises God for the abundant offerings of the people for building the temple. Before the assembly he says:
1Chronicles 29:12
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand is to make great and to give strength to all.
David was honoring God and reminding people to be strong in Him.
We have the same opportunities today!
* Encourage yourself with remembrances of what God has done in your life, in the lives of those you know and care about.
* Remember what God has done in the lives of Biblical characters like David, Moses, Joseph…
* Meditate on and memorized truth found in God’s Word.
* Meditate on and memorize promises found in Scripture. Get these on the hard-drive of your mind so they are immediately available in a pinch.
* Pray Scripture daily. This is one way to be “wrapped” in the Word.
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