Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 One of the things I’ve tried to work on as I’ve gotten older is having a bad attitude toward things. Often, if something doesn’t go my way, I quickly get negative and start complaining. If I’m going out to eat with a group of friends, and they pick a place that has an hour wait, you can bet I’ll start griping. If I find out I have to do something I don’t want to do, especially last minute, you better brace yourself because I’m kind of like the hulk…you won’t like me when I’m angry. As I see this pattern in my life, I’ve realized that it’s not healthy. If I continue to allow what happens around me to control how I feel and how I act, there’s no way I can live the life God wants me to live. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to a church he helped plant a few years before. In his letter, he tells the Christians there who were facing some tough opposition to “rejoice always.” Not only that, but they were also to “pray continually.” Finally, Paul tells that that they should “give thanks in all circumstances.” Why should they do all this? Because, Paul says, this was God wanted for their life. Can you imagine yourself always rejoicing and being happy and always being thankful? Most of us like to think we’re pretty upbeat and optimistic, but, if we’re honest, we often have pretty bad attitudes. Sure, we will rejoice and be thankful when things are going well, but we’ll also quickly devolve into getting down and complaining because things aren’t going our way. Stop allowing your circumstances to dictate your attitude. No matter your situation, you can choose to rejoice and be thankful. Reflect God doesn’t want you happy WHEN it causes you to do something wrong or unwise. What are some wrong or unwise things you do in pursuing your happiness? Why is it so easy to compromise when we’re trying to make ourselves happy? Pray Even if you’re having a bad day or week, spend time today talking to God about all the things you are thankful for in your life. If you need to, take a few minutes beforehand writing out a list. Try to find at least 10-15 things to thank God for today. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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