Stop crying and be grateful for what you DO have, rather than what you don’t. That’s essentially what the Lord told me this morning when I woke up.
Yesterday (and for a while before) I’ve been focusing on that which I can’t change. It concerns relationship issues with family members that have been breaking my heart. I’ve cried buckets of tears and have been in deep mourning because of it. Finding a “new normal” has not been easy. And God knows that. I know the Lord has compassion and understands what my husband and I have been facing and that He cares.
But this morning, upon waking, it was as if the Lord told me:
“Enough is enough for now. Don’t spend today crying about something you cannot change. Instead focus your attention on that, which you CAN change. Focus on the people and things for which you can and should be thankful.”
Stop Crying and Be Grateful
Sometimes we have situations handed to us that we didn’t ask for —events and relationship issues that absolutely confuses and devastates us. But just like we’re told in the Bible there is a “season for everything.” Sometimes we have to give the grieving a rest and instead look for spots of joy. They really are all around us if we look.
So, I’m going to go by my own advice, which (being God-inspired) I recently posted onto the Marriage Missions Facebook page:
Begin to practice random acts of thankfulness. A grateful heart is one that focuses on the good instead of the garbage. When we mine for the “gold” in our spouse and little “praiseworthy” things we can find, plus that, which Christ has done and can do in our lives, God’s peace has an opportunity to grow. (See: Phil. 4:8-9.) So lets think about whatever is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable“…
As we’re told through scripture:
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable —if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me —put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
For anyone who joins us in trying to make our marriages the best they can be —revealing and reflecting the love of Christ:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6)
Cindy Wright of Marriage Missions International wrote this blog.
Filed under: Marriage Blog