As I was driving to work today I realized how blessed I am. There is an old hymn I grew up singing in church called, “Count Your Blessings”. It is not only a classic hymn but good psychology. The more one counts their blessings and names them “one by one” the better one feels. I began realizing my blessings as I thought of my oldest daughter and her husband who are leaving on a special trip to Paris today. He gave it to her as a birthday present. They, like most young couples, have to watch their budget but he told me, “She is so good to me and never asks for anything.” I am blessed to have a great daughter and son-in-law. I thought of my other daughter, who recently earned her Master’s degree and is a counselor for children in Texas. She is also excited about being able to buy her first new car. I am excited that I don’t have to make the payments! Then I thought of my wife who is more of a loving companion to me today than when we started this adventure together 30 years ago. Not only am I blessed with my family, I began to realize and count the blessings I have just living in this country and being able to drive to my job. The drive to work became a joy rather than a frustrating navigation through traffic.
Last Sunday I shared a teaching from Psalms. The first Psalm speaks of the blessings for one who meditates day and night and delights his heart in following the ways of God. The Psalm says, “Whatever he does prospers.” This does not refer to a ‘Prosperity Gospel’ that is not in the Bible but often heard on from some pulpits, radio & TV as a ploy to gain ‘financial prosperity’ (usually for the one preaching that false gospel). The prosperity the Bible DOES speak of in Psalm 1 and other places is prosperity of life’s spiritual blessings, the blessings of living a life seeking to be righteous and loving as God commands, for his glory as well as our own blessings.
My prosperity is not found in material wealth (I balanced my check book last night and found reason to rejoice. Small numbers are easy for me.) or wonderful health. Although I am able to go at a good pace, for a man my age (I hate it when my doctor uses that phrase!) I have many health concerns that could cause me to become depressed if I sat down and listed them, as many choose to do (You know the people who think the greeting, “How are you?” is an open invitation to list all their problems as they seem to enjoy doing). However, I have breath and life today! That is a blessing from God. There are many who did not get out of bed today and have not lived as long as me. Also, there are several reasons I should have been in the grave years ago.
The point is this; we can all find reasons to complain. When we do we create a downward spiral as we become more negative and find even more reasons to complain. However, the best way to live is to find the reasons to rejoice daily in the good things. As we look and count our blessings we transform our mood and see even more blessings creating an upward spiral that begins to make the whole situation better. Paul, the Apostle, was falsely imprisoned when he wrote Philippians where he encourages those outside of his prison cell to, “rejoice”. He also writes that he learned the “secret of being content in any and every situation”. He knows Jesus is there with him, even in prison. As we daily walk with and come to know Jesus more and more we find, as Paul wrote, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Jesus transformed every funeral he encountered into a time of resurrection, especially his own. He has the resources to resurrect and transform any situation in life. Knowing, following and sharing the love of Christ can turn any situation around as we discover with him and in him we have the resources and can do whatever we need to do “through him who gives me strength.”
