Maybe you’ve heard the quote “It’s not happy people who are thankful,

It is thankful people who are happy.”

Counting our blessings and being grateful in ALL situations is not easy.

Your friends may have more money, better looks, a nicer house. People have wronged you and hurt you. We all can have reasons why we might be jealous or bitter. But - with CHRIST - We have BIGGER reasons to be GRATEFUL!

We have a KING, A CREATOR who loves us and is With Us every minute. We have our SAVIOR who wants to give us so much more than material things. HE wants to give us his heart and in exchange he calls us to give him OUR heart.

Where is your mindset as you are living your life?

Are you setting your sights on pleasing the world? Or are you storing up treasures in heaven?

As we work on having healthy hearts and grateful hearts, spend time meditating on the things God HAS done and IS doing for you. The first thing that comes to my mind, is how God has forgiven me. Even before I sinned. God forgave me. It is easy to point the finger at others for their sins, but what about our own? We will be forgiven in the same way we forgive others. Wow! That’s a reality check.

Does God live and dwell in a heart that is full of anger, revenge, bitterness, and jealousy? Let’s get that mess out of our life today and allow God’s character to dwell in us.

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 18:37 That is how My Heavenly Father will treat each of you, unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

TODAY, let’s work on forgiving. Forgiving others and forgiving ourselves.

God has thrown our sins to the ocean floor. Are we going to hang onto hurt or are we going to really believe that Christ has forgiven us? Are we going to really believe that his death and resurrection covered our sins and those of the people we are not forgiving?

Christ died for ALL people.

Do we truly believe in what Christ SAYS and what he has DONE? If the answer is YES, then we need to move forward as NEW CREATIONS in Christ. In our words, actions and in our thoughts and heart. Forgiving others and loving others the way he loves us.

Unforgiveness is a sin. Go to God today and ask him to remove that from your heart and you can believe that he WILL...You CAN trust him.

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

REPLACE that unforgiveness, with GRATITUDE. Instead of focusing on the wrongs in the world, focus on all that is RIGHT with Christ!

READ scripture to see all that Christ is doing and share in love with others, what Christ is doing in your life. A great gift is meant to be shared!! Gifts like “Forgiveness and God’s love.”

Psalm 103:1-5 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!