An Attitude of Gratitude.

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5 :18 (NLT)

I am sure you previously heard the following cliche: "your attitude determines your altitude". Today, I am taking the liberty of modifying it a little bit by saying : "An attitude of gratitude will determine our altitude". Altitudes are the milestones we want to reach, the dreams we want to accomplish, the goals we want to achieve. Along the way, we are faced with the reality that such heights are not attained without overcoming obstacles. Many who are now able to stand at the summit of the mountain of Success and Achievement will tell you that they first needed to go through the valley of despair, disappointment and discouragement. Our perfect example is Our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not allow the pains of the Cross and Golgotha from preventing Him to grasp the Glory of the Resurrection. I not only admire Jesus' total obedience to our Heavenly Father but I am also learning other facets of His personality. Jesus' attitude did not stink! Let me correct it for the purists out there: Jesus' attitude was above reproach. He never complained about dying for ungrateful sinners or having to do it all by Himself. He did not have a " Why Me? " attitude. Rather, He remained in a posture of humility and wore a " Thank God" attitude. Jesus knew that because of His sacrifice, everyone who would accept Him and call upon His Name, would  be saved and receive eternal life. So, He was thankful.

You see, I can use few pointers myself from Jesus' life. I woke up this morning with a phone call  and some email that really upset me. The news were discouraging. All I wanted to do was to crawl in my bed and lament all day.However,something inside of me encouraged me to see the " glass half-full" rather than "half-empty". I believe that it is the Holy spirit who is constantly teaching me to renew my mind and change my attitude.  We must realize that our enemy ,satan ,will always send us some distractions in order for us to fail. Always remember that the devil can see where God is taking us. He knows that God has a great future and plans  for  us (Jeremiah 29: 11) and that is why he will do everything in his capacity to block or destroy our destiny. We can either fall for his tricks or change our attitude towards the problem we face. I don't know what has been troubling you lately? Maybe it does not seem as if you are making some progress. Maybe, you think that life has been unfair to you and you will never make it. Be comforted because God says in

Jeremiah 32: 27:

"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (NIV)

Absolutely NOT! God can transform our circumstances instantly according to his timing and Will. While, we are waiting,we should keep on pressing. We should  count our blessings and adopt an Attitude of Gratitude.

I started a " Gratitude journal" where I write 5 things that happened during the day and that I am grateful for. This simple but yet powerful exercise allows me to keep my attitude in check and to recognize that God is in control and the last time I checked Jesus is still seated on the Throne,at the right hand of the Father. So who cares what the world would bring tome today ? I am thankful that God woke me up this morning, that's enough for me to praise Him. Hallelujah! What are you grateful for today, every day? Write it down!

Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, please teach and show us how to be thankful regardless if things are good or bad. Empower us to have the mind of Christ,which will allow us to conquer every situation we face no matter the difficulty. We thank God that He cares and sees us even in the midst of our struggles. He will not give us more than we can bear and will provide a way out for us when it becomes unbearable (1 Corinthians 10:13). Help us, Lord Jesus, to keep running for the prize of the higher calling that is found in you alone. In Jesus' Name. Amen!

May your life be a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God !

Abi