Count Your Blessings … If You can …

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAIyAAAAJDljOGY1YzAyLTlhZGQtNDYyZi05ZjZlLWJjZTQ0N2E4NjNlMgLearning how to determine the “enough” factor in life is a real challenge, isn’t it? There is such a fine line between what we think we need and what we really want! We sing the song bearing the words “Count Your Blessings” often in our worship services and if you’re like me, you end up humming the words for several days as the thoughts expressed have decided to hang around for a little while!

But have we really learned to be grateful for all that we have … for all that we are … and for all that we can be in Christ Jesus? I decided I would just look up the phrase and see what the ‘technical’ definition is:

count your blessings   “To be grateful for the good things in your life, often to stop yourself from becoming too unhappy about the bad things. (Definition of count your blessings from the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus, Cambridge University Press)

Now, I know we don’t need to look it up in a dictionary to know its meaning, but what I’m wondering is why do we just take so much for granted as if we deserved it or something? Would you not agree there is much room for improvement in your life when it comes to being grateful? Be honest. Perhaps the problem lies within our hearts.

“Count Your Blessings.” In the twenty-third Psalm, a passage of Scripture that will always hold a very dear place in my heart, the shepherd boy who became a king wrote of the boundless, immeasurable and limitless blessings that are lovingly provided for each of us by God, when he said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” (Psalm 23:5).

I don’t know about you … but I sure know about me! And this “me” has a cup of blessings that is always overflowing! There is just no way that if I were to sit down with pen and paper or sit in front of the computer … I could even begin to list all of the blessings extended to me, but I need to do a better job of focusing on what I do have … family that loves me, a roof over my head, good food to eat at the table, nice clothes to wear … and on and on it could go! And that’s just from the physical and material category! Folks, what about all of the spiritual blessings that are ours made possible by the sacrifice of God’s dear Son on the Cross?

Rather than choosing to be like the nine lepers in Luke 17:11-19, I choose to be like the one leper who came back to thank the Lord for his cleansing! Let’s all try it for a week or so and see if we won’t be glad we decided to have a more grateful heart!

“The heart is rich when it is content, and it is always content when its desires are fixed on God.” (Unknown)

Bill Fairchild, Jr.

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3 Responses to “Count Your Blessings … If You can …”

  1. Mary August 24, 2015 at 12:23 pm # Reply

    I needed your comments today. Thank you for being the blessing you are to so many of us.

  2. Craig August 25, 2015 at 3:26 pm # Reply

    Thanks so much brother! Keep them coming!

  3. Lloyd Cody August 26, 2015 at 8:10 am # Reply

    Great thoughts Bill. Its so easy to become overwhelmed by problems, both within & without the Church. There have beem times when I’ve been working out of town & alone for several days. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live alone without those I love. Kinda puts it into perspective. By the loving hand of God, we all have so much to be thankful for.

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