High Bill, Right Attitude

A friend of mine was telling me about her car recently.  It was having some problems and it needed to be repaired.  So she took it to the mechanic.  Finally, he was able to fix the problem.  She went to get her car back and then she saw the bill.  Needless to say, it was pretty expensive.  When she told me about it, she wasn't complaining.  Not at all.  But I did say, "I'm sorry the bill was so high to fix your car up."  She then calmly responded, "Well, I'm just glad I have a car to fix up."

Wow!  She was not having the easiest of times. And yet her attitude stayed right.  She kept a thankful heart.  And I admired that.

This is what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 - "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Here we see in the scriptures an important reminder:  Always look for the good in every situation, and remember to thank God for it. 

I believe with all my heart that thanksgiving matters for two reasons.

First of all, we should be thankful to God just because He deserves it.  He's more than earned our gratitude.  Just think of how He blesses us daily.  Let's count our blessings and express our gratitude to him.

Secondly, looking for the good and being thankful protects us.  Thankfulness shields our hearts from negativity, pessimism, and bitterness.  When we're focused on the positive, it helps us deal better with those challenging seasons of life.

My friend responded right to the high bill.  She looked for the good, and responded with gratitude.  May we all do the same.

In closing, let me share this little story with you.  Years ago, Matthew Henry was robbed.  A man took his wallet.  Looking back on that unfortunate event, this is what he wrote:  "I am thankful that he never robbed me before.  I am thankful that although he took my wallet, he did not take my life.  Although he took all I had, it was not much.  And I am glad that it was I who was robbed, not I who did the robbing."

Today, let us all be thankful.  Why?  Because no matter what happens, God is still good.  And we are immensely blessed.