It takes practice

I could make a list of all I am thankful for, but really is that what I want to write about? No, not really. Cause it's easy to make list or several lists and rhyme them off at different intervals throughout your life to give yourself that gentle reminder.  But as I am sitting here.. .. .. . thinking.. .. … I’ve realized that I am not truly living a thankful life. I go about my day to day life doing what I always do without being thankful, I mean truly thankful.

To be honest I’ve come to expect a warm house on these cooler days, a fridge, freezer & even my pantry are full overflowing with food. I’ve got clothes on my back, and money in the bank and if you combine all that, we would likely be in the top something percent of the richest people. Are we, by today’s standards considered wealthy, um no, not likely!

Does that mean I have nothing to be thankful for?

Of course not!

But I think being thankful is more than just saying you’re thankful.

I want to live a life that is thankful.

Too often though I tend to compare my life to those near me, I look at what they have and think if only I had ..{fill in the blank} .. then I could be thankful!

Playing the comparison game forces us to look longingly at all we don’t have instead of all we do have, resulting in a skewed view of perspective. It ultimately leads us into a preoccupation with ourselves. Before we realize it, self-centered attitudes like “Am I good enough?” “Pretty enough?” “Gifted enough?” creep up on us, robbing us of all that’s good in our life. It is here that the enemy snares us to keep us from appreciating all that God has given to us.

Another secret to defeating comparison is simply practicing thankfulness. If we’re to overcome comparison, we need to train ourselves to be thankful. Have you ever noticed how your outlook in life instantly changes when you choose to be thankful? Thankfulness enables us to focus on all we do have in our lives instead of on what somebody else has in their life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that we are to “give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” This includes giving thanks for how God has made us. We need to put our false perceptions aside and ask ourselves, “What is the best way ~~ given my gifts, abilities and desires ~~ to fulfill the calling God has given to me?

So, the next time you’re tempted to compare yourself to someone else, remember that God wants to use you in the place of His calling ~ a place that only you can fill.

Blessings