"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" ~Psalm 68:19
It saddens me every time I think of how many benefits and blessings we reject, how many wonderful miracles God is trying to give us that we leave behind simply because we’re unaware that these promises even exist. Or, worse yet, know of them but feel so unworthy that we refuse to accept them.
Maybe we need to look at this whole thing in a different way. Say you have a child and you want to give him a very special gift because you love him so very much. You take some money out of every paycheck for an entire year to purchase this gift. You go to great lengths to acquire this special gift. You carefully wrap it in beautiful paper, and then you go to your child and give it to him. But rather than thanking you and gratefully accepting it, he gives it back to you unopened because he doesn't think he’s worthy of receiving it. How would that make you feel?
These gifts exist. All we have to do is gratefully accept them and they will be ours. Period. No strings. Our lives could be so much better if we could just accept more of God’s loving gifts… and peace is at the very top of this list!
I have finally learned to gratefully accept God's promises. Do I still have problems? Yes, I still have bad days. Do I ever get sick? Yes, of course. I’m not trying to tell you that your life will perfect without any troubles. I am, however, acknowledging that my life has drastically improved since I decided to accept these free gifts from Jesus. I can usually see right through most of my problems these days, and rather than complaining, I thank God for the blessings He sends my way, even when things seem to be going badly. Honestly, I rarely get sick anymore, and when I do I believe God for a healing, do my part to get well, and usually recover in a few days.
Gratitude! It’s all about gratitude! We have a choice, every day, to give him thanks or to complain. A heart filled with gratitude has no room for complaining. We must praise God, even in the storms, especially in the storms! I count my blessing every day; I count them one by one. I thank God for everything. I now understand that staying in a state of thankfulness, and having an attitude of gratitude is the key to keeping my eyes on all the good that He has given me, rather than griping about what’s wrong.
Why does this work…?
The scientific explanation to all of this is fascinating and just might help you better understand the negative consequence of habitual complaining as well as the positive effects of practicing gratitude.
When we repeatedly complain, we create deeply embedded thought patterns in our brain. The following is an explanation of how complaining rewires our brains for negativity. Whenever we complain, thousands of neutrons (imagine neutrons as cars on a highway) are triggered and form a neural network (thought highway). The mind then finds it easier to follow this established network when reacting to everyday life. Every time you complain, you make that habit stronger. Your reaction to life events will create an embedded reaction, or groove in your brain.
It’s important to catch ourselves when we start to complain, and immediately switch to gratitude. Turn your thoughts around and blaze a new trail to a better life. Try to be grateful of something, it can be anything, just say thank you for something. Practice this to create a new neural network (thought pattern) for pleasant feelings rather than the sadness that complaining inevitably brings.
Science didn’t invent these facts, it simply explains what God has already created. We have to take this knowledge and really run with it if we want peace in our lives. We have to trust the infallible word of God, and then use our God-given self-control to change these old bad habits once and for all! You can’t have negative thoughts the majority of the time, and have a happy ending. Just ask God to help you make adjustments in your thinking every time you start to think a negative thought.
Start your day off on the right foot! Initiate a daily regimen every morning with a good long praise session, counting your blessings and thanking God for everything. The only way we can truly be grateful for everything, both good and bad, is through faith! We must trust God with our whole heart, knowing that whatever is happening, in the good times and the bad, God is there and in complete control!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” ~Psalm 103:1-5
Q: Do you totally trust God with all your heart?
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