Count Your Blessings

Have you ever sat back and tried to count every blessing that God has placed in your life? If you truly looked at every situation as a blessing from God, you would be counting for a very long time!

Every time you wake up in the morning, that's a blessing to be counted. Food to eat for breakfast equals another blessing. Don't forget the place you live, the clothes you wear, the job that pays the bills, and the list goes on and on.

Every morning when you wake up, thank God for at least one blessing that he has provided for you. This could change your whole perspective for that day. Practicing gratitude is actually healthy for you. It can change your whole mindset and outlook on life. Focusing on counting the blessings that you have, instead of the things that you do not have, can chase away negative attitudes and the tendency to complain.

You might say, "Well, my life isn't going like I wanted it to. I do not have the nice house or new car that I want. My financial situation isn't great. My health is gone. What blessings do I have to count?"

The number one blessing we can count is that God loved us so much, "that He gave His only begotten Son so that we could have eternal life." (John 3:16). God could have left us in a sinful and fallen condition. He could have chosen for us to keep the law and the yearly animal sacrifices for sin. Instead, in His great love, He chose to make a way for us to come close to Him in a real relationship through faith (Acts 2:38). I can't think of a greater blessing than that, can you?

It's true that life is hard. There are times that seem totally dark, with no hope of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Some storms seem endless and stretch on for days, weeks, months--even years. Even then, there is the blessing of God's faithfulness. He promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Even when our prayers seem to be met with silence, He has promised that He hears every one of them in Psalm 34:15, which states, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." He also promised to be present in every moment and to share in our burdens. Psalm 68:19 NIV declares, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." He even promised to fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14). He is also, "A friend that sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24) It is through the dark trials of life that we truly begin to grasp how much God means to us and to depend on His promises in faith.

I'm not saying that life is all sunshine and roses, but there is always something to be thankful for, even if that blessing is that He carried you through one more day of life.

Keep counting your blessings my friends, you may be surprised how many you find if you look hard enough!