5 ways where your blessings can change the trajectory of your day
"And God can bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9: 8).
Counting our blessings requires a change of perspective. Our Father's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways. If we drift towards the comparative structure of social materialism, allowing social media feeds and nightly news to determine how satisfied we are with the status quo of our lives, we will embark on a never-ending quest for never enough.
This world is marinated with worry and fear. "Paying attention to what we are grateful for puts us in a positive frame of mind," wrote Lisa Firestone, Ph.D, for Psychology Today, "Research shows that focusing on what we are thankful for is a universally rewarding way. to feel happier and more satisfied. "
The Creator of the universe holds each of His children in the palm of His hand, giving us what we need every day. Now more than ever, we don't know what each day will bring. Our calendars are constantly changing as we erase and redesign. But the chaos of the world we live in is in the capable hands of our great and good God. When we focus on the blessings of our life, as the classic hymn sings, "God is above all."
What does it mean to count your blessings?
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4: 7).
Scripture is filled with definitive reminders of God's blessings. The grateful reassurances contained in the classic hymn, "Count Your Blessings," positively realign our minds. Paul faithfully reminded the church in Galatia: “It is for freedom that Christ has made us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not let yourselves be oppressed again by the yoke of slavery ”(Galatians 5: 1).
The yoke Paul deduced is being chained to what we do or don't do, allowing us to feel shame and guilt even if Christ's death denies both! Our sinful nature and the downward spiral of a world that needs its Creator to put it right once and for all is about to devastate our earthly lives. But our hope is not earthly, it is divine, eternal and solid as a rock.
5 Ways Counting Your Blessings Can Change the Trajectory of Your Day
1. Remember
"And my God will satisfy all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Prayer journals are amazing tools for tracking answered prayers, but they are not required to remember where God has come for us in our lives. He is close to the brokenhearted and hears our prayers!
Each answer does not seem like a miracle of success, or even the direct answer we have prayed for, but it moves and works in our life every single day we wake up to breathe. We can find hope even in the difficult seasons we have endured. Vaneetha Rendall Risner wrote for Desiring God "My trial founded my faith in ways that fairness and abundance never could."
In Christ, we experience friendship with the God of Creation. He knows what we really need. When we pour out our hearts completely to God, the Spirit is translated and our hearts of sovereign God are moved. Remembering who God is and how He has answered our prayers in the past helps us change the trajectory of our day!
Photo credit: Unsplash / Hannah Olinger
2. Refocus
"Don't worry about anything, but in every situation, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, submit your requests to God. And God's peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ. Jesus ”(Philippians 4: 6-7).
Psychology Today explains that "gratitude is perhaps the most important key to finding success and happiness today." The accuracy of news and social media is hard to tell apart. But there is one source of information that we must never question - God's Word.
Alive and active, the same passage can move in our lives in different ways at different times. We have God's word to remind us of what is true, and it's important to refocus our thoughts when they start to become dishonest with worry.
Paul reminded the Corinthians: "We demolish arguments and every claim that opposes the knowledge of God, and we take prisoner every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10: 5) We can lean on the word of God, trusting is relevant and applicable to our daily life.
3. Go ahead
“Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord, who trusts in him. They will be like a tree planted by water that sends its roots near the stream. He is not afraid when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. He has no worries in a drought year and never fails to bear fruit ”(Jeremiah 17: 7-8).
As you try to change the trajectory of a stressful and overwhelming day, you choose to remember that we are children of the Most High God, saved by Christ Jesus and inhabited by the Holy Spirit. It is okay, and necessary, to fully experience all our feelings. God designed us with emotion and sensitivity, they are flawless.
The trick is not to stay in those feelings and emotions, but rather to use them as a guide to remember, refocus and move on. We can feel all the feelings, but not get stuck in them. They can move us to our God, who is amply ready and willing to help us take steps to fully live the blessed lives he has proposed to us, for his glory.
There are seasons in life when every day feels like a literal mystery, with everything we've ever known crumbling around us until all we're left with is the piece of land our feet occupy ... and our faith in Christ. . Our faith gives us permission to feel fear freely, but then remember, refocus, and face the future on the solid foundation that God has provided through Christ.
4. Trust in God
“Come on, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed, shaken and overflowing, will be poured into the lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you ”(Luke 6:38).
Moving forward requires trust! When we remember, refocus and begin to move forward, it simultaneously requires us to trust God. Runners, when they tackle more miles than they have ever run before, fight the doubt that their bodies and minds can reach the place. 'final goal. One step at a time, the goal is not to stop, no matter how slow, hesitant, painful or difficult. At the end of a hard workout, race or distance they have never run before, they experience what is called the runner's ultimate!
The incredible feeling of trusting God step by step through the days of our life is indescribably better than the intoxication of the runner! It is a divine experience, developed and maintained by spending time with our Father in His Word and in prayer and worship each day. If we wake up with the breath in our lungs, we can fully trust that there is a purpose for us to get out! Greater trust in God changes the trajectory of our days and our lives.
5. Hope
"From his fullness we have all received grace in place of the grace already given" (John 1:16).
Remember, refocus, go ahead, have faith and finally hope. Our hope is not in the things of this world, and not even in other people whom Jesus commanded us to love as we love ourselves. Our hope is in Christ Jesus, who died to save us from the power of sin and its consequences of death, humbling himself as he died on the cross. In that moment, he took on what we could never endure. This is Love. Indeed, Jesus is the most eloquent and extravagant expression of God's love for us. Christ will come again. There will be no more death, all wrongs will be redressed and sickness and pain will heal.
Putting our hearts to the hope we have in Christ changes the trajectory of our day. We don't know what each day will bring. There is no way for us to foresee what only God knows. He left us with the wisdom from His Word and the evidence of His presence in creation all around us. The love of Jesus Christ flows through every believer, both to give and to receive love as we make His name known on earth. All we do is bring honor and glory to God. When we let go of our agenda, we release fleeting feelings, we embrace the freedom that cannot be stripped by any earthly force or person. Free to live. Free to love. Free to hope. This is life in Christ.
A prayer to count your blessings every day
Father,
You constantly show your compassionate love for us, in the way you provide what we need each day. Thank you for comforting us when we are overwhelmed by the news reels of this world and the pain that surrounds most of us these days. Heal our anxiety and help us overcome worry to find your truth and your love. Psalm 23: 1-4 reminds us: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me along calm waters, refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for the sake of his name. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, because you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. “Eliminate fear and worry from our lives when it gushes, father. Help us remember, refocus, move forward, trust you, and keep our hope in Christ.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Everything good comes from God. Blessing fills our daily life, from the air in our lungs to the people in our lives. Instead of getting bogged down in confrontation and worrying about a world we are not in control of, we can proceed step by step, following Christ in the world pocket in which he intentionally placed us. No matter what is happening in the world, we can wake up every day to pray and spend time in the word of God. We can love the people in our lives and serve our communities with the unique gifts we have been given.
When we set up our lives to be channels of Christ's love, He is faithful in reminding us of our many blessings. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. "Genuine discipleship can demand the highest price from you relationally and the highest price physically," says John Piper definitively. Even in the painful and difficult moments of life, living in the love of Christ is incredible.