As a child, growing up in church, we sang from hymnals. Very old-school – of course since I’m old, it wasn’t considered old-school then. It was just, well…. normal. One of the my favorite hymns was a song entitled "Count Your Blessings.” The message of the song is exactly what the title implies.
When you are down and discouraged, when you are struggling, when you see others prosper, but not you, when you are in conflict – stop – don’t dwell on the bad, but instead count your blessings. Look at the good things in your life. Look at what God is doing or has done. In other words, change your perspective, don’t focus on the bad, and instead count your blessings.
Written over 100 years ago by Johnson Oatman Jr. and published in 1897, the truth of this song still resonates today. When life becomes difficult count your blessings.
I love the concept of counting our blessings. It’s the intentional act of turning off our negative thought processes and instead focusing on the positive things in our lives.
The word “Blessing” is defined as God’s favor and protection.
From cover to cover, the Bible is filled with evidence of God’s favor and protection. And before you say, but what about that time when ……
Yes, bad stuff still happens. People get sick. Dreams don’t always come true. Financial challenges occur. Jobs are lost. Tragedy strikes. Disaster’s take place. If we only focus our thoughts on minds on those things, it’s a pretty bleak world.
Jesus reminds the disciples (and us) in John 16:33, that in “this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
In this verse, I see that while life will have its ups and downs there is a promise that God will take care of us.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
God loves us. It’s not in his character to change his mind about that. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
There are a number of verses that serve to remind me that God loves me and wants to bless me. What I don’t find are verses that tell me to compare myself to others; to measure my blessings against theirs.
If counting your blessings is something you struggle with, I believe the disconnect happens when we try to define the word bless according to the world’s standard. Let me ask you this. Have you ever given someone a gift that you really thought about and took time to acquire only to have them exchange it for something else, or worse yet, regift it? Think about that for a moment.
Don’t we do that with God’s blessings? Because they may not meet our definition or standard, we overlook them and even discard them as worthless.
Every day we experience blessings from God in one form or another.
The trouble is that because our definition of the word “blessed” is usually tied to money, status, or achievements, we often miss out on recognizing and celebrating the many blessings that come our way.
Stop for a moment and think about a few things we take for granted: hot water, clean drinking water, indoor plumbing, access to healthy food choices, houses, comfortable beds, and clothes to wear.
We have become incredibly spoiled if we think that these things fall under our rights and privileges of living in America. Perspective is everything. Not everyone in the world have access to some of these blessings.
To this we can add jobs, friends, family, pets, reliable transportation, vacations, holidays, laughter, possessions, and even our cherished memories. All of these things can be added to a list of the blessings we can count.
What’s on your list?
Even though this year has been extremely difficult for our family, each item on this list made me smile. It made me stop and remember that I have been blessed in so many ways and by so many people this past year. Yes, it was a tough year, but God’s blessings (large & small) have sustained me in a way that nothing else could.
This week, many of us gathered around a table to celebrate Thanksgiving. Some may have even shared something that they are thankful for. Just because Thanksgiving is now past, don’t let that deter you from counting your blessings.
For the next five weeks of 2022, I challenge you to create a list and begin writing them down. Then tomorrow, add more to your list. On the next day, add some more and so on.
The next time you are feeling down and discouraged, get out your list and begin recounting your blessings. You will be amazed at how your outlook and attitude will change.
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