There are a lot of reasons that I love my husband.
He loves Jesus, he is funny, kind, generous, a hard worker… and honest.
Although that last one sometimes finds me less than thrilled.
I don’t mind (too much) when he responds to my question of whether he liked a new recipe as “It was OK.” I don’t get too wound up when he admits (with no remorse) that yes, he left the wet towel on the floor.
However, I tend to semi-loathe his honesty when he takes on the role of wife-caller-outer.
Out of all the people on the planet, he is the one that God uses the most to shape and mold me into the woman who God has called me to be… Especially in this realm of practicing what we preach.
Specifically when it comes to gratitude.
Brandon is really, REALLY good at big picture thinking and being grateful for the little things of life. Food, shelter, a steady job, wife, baby… Me? I do pretty decent when I focus on gratitude. I mean shoot, my 1000 gift list is nearing 5000 items! If that doesn’t say “Thanks, Jesus,” then I don’t know what does, right?
My issue arises in the moment-by-moment response to life circumstances. Hubs texts me to say he has been slated to work an overnight 24-hour shift on Christmas Eve? I totally lose sight of the fact that we are still in the same zip code of the holiday and get all bent out of shape about a small circumstance.
So yeah. I am working on it– and my beloved husband certainly keeps me accountable.
I think that our response to our day-by-day hoopla says a lot about our relationship with Christ. I know that oftentimes, it highlights my sin areas: Pride, ungratefulness, desire to control, pretty much all we have talked about during this practicing what we preach series.
This idea of being grateful (because Jesus tells us to) is something that I really desire to grow within myself. I have literally preached a sermon about cultivating an attitude of gratitude, how God speaks to us in our ungratefulness and being thankful anyways, even when circumstances nudge us otherwise.
But I sure don’t have all the answers. That is why it is audience participation time.
I am really interested– do you have any great Jesus-tools to cultivate an attitude of gratitude? Please, show me how you keep ahold of God’s perspective of continual gratitude even when the world says not to. Join the conversation and leave a comment below.
Bottom line: We ALWAYS have something to be grateful for because we have Jesus. So that is motivation enough to practice what we preach.
Thankful through Christ,
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” ~Colossians 3:16 NIV
Linking up today with Kelli via Unforced Rhythms, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Jen over at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, and Hazel via Tell Me a Story. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
