| 1 Thessalonians 5:18- “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” |
We suffer from first world problems.
We snail pace our way through traffic.
Go to the grocery store and we see empty shelves, the evidence of a continuing supply chain problem.
We wait to see doctors who can write a prescription for an antibiotic to knock out that pesky infection that makes you feel bad.
As we think about how to be grateful, let me offer you another way to maintain a grateful focus. Think about what it would be like if you did not have it.
Traffic is a bear. But our forbearers were not so blessed. They did not have cars. Instead, they had to take a wagon over rutted roads. Or they walked. Think about Jesus. He spent his entire adult life walking to where he needed to go.
Do you want to have to hitch up a wagon?
Do you want to walk miles to get where you want to go?
Some are traveling by plane this holiday season. You must stand in the long security line. Planes are packed shoulder to shoulder, and they may run late.
Imagine you did not have the luxury of flying places.
You may never see relatives but once every few years and those would take weeks to get there.
Think about what it would be like if you did not have it.
Or your house. It’s expensive to keep it up. Gas to heat is expensive and it seems to get even more expensive.
Suppose you lived in a mud hut with a bare floor. For what little heat you have, you spend the day cutting wood. You have to build the fire and get up a few times a night to keep it going.
Doesn’t that gas bill seem more reasonable? Think about what life would be without it?
So, to be grateful, gain a little perspective. What would your life be like in your grandparents’ time? In Jesus’ time? Just think about what it would be like if you did not have it.
-Robert G. Taylor-
robertgtaylor.com
