Gratitude is the key to everything in life! If you’re a grateful person, you will work hard. If you’re a grateful person, you will love deeply. If you’re a grateful person, you will sacrifice for a cause. It’s the product of true joy. The kind of attitude that fully trusts God no matter what circumstances come your way. That is how the Apostle Paul ends his love letter to the Philippians. He reminds them that he has learned to be content in both prosperity and pressure. He takes the time to reminisce about their past financial sacrifices that helped him and others. He closes the letter by declaring the glory of God and his love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. Everything that he says at the end is filled with gratitude. Paul was a positive person. Are you? Too many times, we only see the challenges, issues, and struggles, while missing the good, blessings, and opportunities! Instead of living in thanksgiving, we live in frustration! That needs to change, and it needs to change RIGHT NOW! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have much to be thankful for on a day-to-day basis! Remember, Paul’s early words about trust – “…with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We shouldn’t come to God with dread; we should come to God with anticipation. The fact is that life has many “ebbs and flows” where, at times, things are going very well, and at other times, things are a major struggle. In every circumstance, trust in God’s sovereignty. The phrase “I can do all things through Christ” means that you can live in God’s strength even in the worst of times. As we come to a conclusion of Philippians, are you living with a joyful heart – one that joyfully trusts the Lord, one that joyfully sacrifices for the mission, one that joyfully preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ? There’s no greater adventure than passionately following Jesus Christ – it’s the GREATEST JOYRIDE in life!
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