Are You Grateful?

I've been to Paris where I saw the Mona Lisa.  I've been to Hawaii, Disneyland, and New York City.  I've seen oceans, mountains, and the Grand Canyon.  I've seen Eric Clapton play guitar live and in person.  I've been to Major League Baseball, NFL, and NBA games.  I've seen Tiger Woods play in the US Open.  I have a house with 5 bedrooms in it.  I've got 2 cars.  Everyone in my family has an iPhone.  My wife and I both have jobs.  My wife and kids are healthy.

I have to remind myself sometimes that I've got it pretty good.  I'm not "rich" by Western standards.  My wife is a teacher and I work at Shared Blessings, and while we are plenty taken care of  combined we don't make a six figure salary.  Sometimes money gets tight.  Sometimes I worry about how I am going to pay for something.  Usually the thing I'm worried about is a luxury not a necessity.  If it is a necessity that I'm worried about, it's because I've spent too much money on luxuries.

It's not always easy to be grateful for what I am blessed with.  My wife and I just got back from Europe.  We were so busy seeing sights and taking everything in, I didn't really take time to thank God for how blessed I was just to be there.  When we got home and the bills for the trip started coming in and I had to go back to work, I had already forgotten how blessed I was to have been able to go.

I think that being grateful is a habit, just like anything else.  For me at least, it's one of those things that is not always in my nature to do like working out or eating healthy.  But like working out and eating healthy, it is beneficial.  Being grateful means focusing on the positive instead of the negative.  I don't know about you, but I tend to focus on the problem.  You never hear anyone talk about how the traffic was light or the line was short at Wal-Mart.  It's usually the other way around.

 I think there are 3 steps we can take to be more grateful.

1.  Remember How You Have Been Blessed

When you think about how you have been blessed, you can overcome some of the worry and frustration that happens in life.  Whenever money gets tight or life gets stressful and you get caught up in how everything is going wrong, remember everything that has gone right.  That doesn't mean the situation you are facing will automatically resolve itself, but it also won't be solved by a "woe is me" attitude.

If you know me very well, you know I've never been a big proponent of the power of positive thinking or naming it and claiming it.  But I do think if you look at scripture, God is constantly reminding his people to remember what He has done for them.  When the children of Israel were wandering in the desert and wondering if God would come through, he reminded them to remember the One who had brought them out of Egypt.  When David is facing Goliath, he remembers how God had delivered him previously and it gives him the courage to face the giant.

Remembering how God has blessed us doesn't cure all current worries, but it serves to encourage us that God has provided before and he can again.

2.  Realize How Blessed You Are In The Moment

In those times when God is blessing us, we need to acknowledge it.  We went to Marval this weekend and "camped" with some friends.  We were sitting around with our families and the kids were playing and having a good time and it hit me how blessed I am.

In the Bible, when God did something for his people, they would put up an altar or build a monument in that spot so they would remember it later.  But in order to remember a blessing in the future, we need to recognize it as a blessing in the moment and acknowledge it.

3.  Be A Blessing To Others

Realizing that we are blessed should manifest itself into being a blessing to others.  If God has blessed us, it's so we can bless others.

I remember as a kid we weren't wealthy but we never wanted for anything.  We were blessed.  An my mom made us get involved in serving others.  We used to go to a church in the poorer part of town and help them put on a Vacation Bible School  My mom wanted to make sure that we understood how blessed we were.

Every day I see folks struggling to get by.  I met a couple this week that work full time jobs and have two kids, just like my wife and I.  Combined they make about $28,000 a year.  As you can imagine they are struggling.  This puts some of my worries into prospective.  But if it doesn't cause me to do something about it, then my gratefulness is not manifesting itself properly.

The Book of James says:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

If we have faith and understand that we are blessed, it should show itself in some way.  If you have enough clothes but you know others don't, come volunteer in the clothing store at Shared Blessings.  If you have enough to eat but you know others don't, donate food to the food pantry.  If you have a nice home but you know others don't, come swing a hammer with Habitat for Humanity.

When we are grateful for what we have it should lead us to see that others have the same when it is within our ability to do so.

Being grateful is a discipline.  Kid's don't naturally say "thank you" when someone gives them something.  We teach them to do it.  As adults, a lot of times, we just say "thank you" like robots, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are living our lives grateful for what we have.  So just like we teach our kids to say "thank you," when we become adults we need to teach ourselves to be grateful.  I have to make a conscience decision to be grateful, but in doing so, I feel better and feel less stressed when things aren't going as well.