Never count the MIGHT HAVE BEENS!

Good morning! This is the day that the Lord has made, I pray that you started off your day rejoicing and being glad in it! We have much to rejoice about, if we just slow down long enough to think about it. Thank you so much to everyone that participated in our poll Friday, and for those who left comments. God used many of those comments Sunday, and we had four come to the Lord for Salvation in our services. Also, many were encouraged in the Lord because of the shared testimonies. To God be the glory great things that he has done!

When Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of California's Crystal Cathedral, was growing up, drought ravaged their family farm. They prayed for rain that never came. His dad, who normally harvested 100 wagon loads of corn, reaped only a half-wagon full. Schuller says, "I'll never forget it. His calloused hands holding ours as he looked up and prayed, 'Thank you Lord, I've lost nothing. I've regained all the seed I planted in spring.' While other farmers were saying, 'We lost 90 or 100 loads,' my father told me, 'Never count the might-have-beens or you'll be defeated. Never look at what you've lost, only look at what you've got left.'" Good advice! Too many times we get caught up in REGRETS and what MIGHT HAVE BEEN, and we don't give God the thanks that he is deserving of, and we find ourselves "wallowing" in self-pity and before long depression begins to settle in.

Today, why don't you purpose in your heart to be THANKFUL for everything that God has blessed you with. Do you know what the word CONTENTMENT really means? It means, "wanting what God has blessed you with." Not "coveting" what you do not have. Paul said that he had LEARNED to be content. You learn CONTENTMENT by developing an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE towards what God has placed in your life. You will NEVER develop gratitude as long as you camp out in the land of WHAT COULD HAVE OR MIGHT HAVE BEEN. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Why not start it off with thanksgiving for you HAVE LEFT!

In Psalm 69:30, David said, "Praise… God… and… magnify Him with thanksgiving," because gratitude has:

(1) Driving power. Paul says, "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory" (2 Corinthians 2:14 NCV). Thanksgiving helps you make the hard decisions. It gives you courage to believe against all odds.

(2) Reviving power. Listen to what Paul says, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "Don't
ever stop thinking about what is… worthy of praise…. And God, who gives peace, will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV). Stopping regularly to recall God's goodness restores your perspective and strengthens you.

(3) Striving power. Gratitude gives you the "uumph" to move ahead. Paul could "press on" because his goals included:

• knowing Christ
  (Philippians 3:14
  I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.)
  
• preaching in Spain (Romans 15:24
  I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing.)
  
• seeing a lost world saved (Romans 10:1
  Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.) What goals are you striving for?
  
  
  

(4) Arriving power. When you reach your destination, you'll find you've developed selflessness and humility. That's because gratitude is nothing more than telling God and those around you, "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you!"

I woke up this morning thinking about how much I have to be thankful for. Even if you are going through a difficult time, why don't you take the time to do the following exercise, and realize how blessed that you really are.

Write down what you are thankful for in this acronym activity. Start your word, phrase, or sentence with each of these letters:

T_______________________________________________

H_______________________________________________

A_______________________________________________

N_______________________________________________

K_______________________________________________

S_______________________________________________

G_______________________________________________

I_______________________________________________

V_______________________________________________

I________________________________________________

N_______________________________________________

G_______________________________________________

After you do this exercise, why don't you take the time to share with us some of the things that you are thankful for? I believe that your comments of thanksgiving will help and inspire someone else. I also will use some of the comments in a message about thanksgiving tomorrow (Wednesday) night. I love each of you, and I THANK GOD FOR YOU DAILY! Blessings!

Pastor Rusty