Sometimes its hard to focus on the good stuff

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I added the emphasis in the above Bible verse taken from Paul's letter to the people of Thessalonica. At the time, Thessalonica was full of wealth and included the corruption and excesses that come with it. Paul was instructing the people to keep their focus on the Truth, the Word.  The emphasis I added was due to an experience over the weekend where I let a simple comment from a 10 year old overtake about 24 hours of my life. I focused on the negative and forgot about all the positive blessings God has showered upon me.

The comment was innocent enough, coming from my daughter's friend while we were at the pool club Saturday evening. But we all have an attribute about us, physical or emotional, that we tend to be more sensitive about. For some it is weight, for others it may be a perceived defficiency in education, and others it is excessive hair growth or the thinning or loss of hair.

The point I want to make is that in times like these, we have to reach out to God and pray, as Paul instructed the Thessalonians, giving thanks for everything we have and asking Him to help us remove the perceived bad from our minds and instead open ourselves to seeing the many blessings being provided on a daily basis. We must not dwell on the negatives; the bad day at the office, not getting to do your favorite activity because of something else coming up, but instead focus on the blessings God gives us every day, every hour, every minute. Remember that all this is God's will for you. Embrace it and be thankful for it.

So as you start this new week, take Paul's message to heart. Pray early and pray continually. Continue to seek God's guidance in your life and continue to thank Him for what He provides. It will surely help you keep things in perspective and focus on all the good being provided in your life.

God Bless your Monday.