The holidays are upon us! Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of my favorite holidays but if you are like me, they can also be a source of great stress and anxiety. In the current economic conditions, the extra costs for the season can lead to some un-festively hard times.
Paul was a man who was acquainted with hard times as he was no stranger to suffering, imprisonment, and even torture. If anyone had an excuse to have a negative attitude it would have been Paul. But somehow Paul manages to sidestep anxiety, fear, and despair. How does he do it, and more importantly how can we have this ability as we venture into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season? Paul gives us a glimpse into his attitude in 1st Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
How do you start your day? If you are like me I often wake up with the worries or concerns of the day. The seemingly endless to-do lists, the stresses of work, family, and finances often are an unwelcome flood of thoughts that greets us every morning. But then about a year ago, something changed. I began my morning by thinking about everything for which I was thankful. My wife, my son, my house, my car, my bed with the memory foam topper. The block of cheese in my fridge, the church I get to pastor. After a long list of things that I thank God for in prayer, I have found that my whole day had changed. The stressors were still there, but somehow they didn’t seem as big. It was as if I had so much to be thankful for that everything else just faded into the background. My attitude guided by Paul’s advice changed the quality of my life.
Paul was big on focusing on the positive, even when in prison he writes in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.” If you want a better day, even a better life it begins with an attitude of gratitude. I encourage you to share this practice of beginning your devotional time in the morning with a time of giving thanks with your children and your spouse. It can and will change your life.
by Pastor Eric Maggio, HCS Board of Directors