Be Wise - Be Thankful

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

A man went to a wise sage and complained, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?"

The sage told him, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man was incredulous, but the sage insisted. "Do as I say and come back in a week."

A week later the man came back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he told the sage. "The goat is filthy."

The sage then said, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week."

A radiant man returned to the sage a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat — only the nine of us."

My way of describing the scenario above is the “doughnut hole syndrome.” Rather than being thankful with what they had, they focused on what they didn’t have, making them unhappy.

I learned this lesson long ago when my parents taught me this poem:

As you go through life

Make this your goal;

Look at the doughnut

And not the hole!

Thanksgiving—the Holiday is swiftly approaching. I like to say, thanksgiving day is here. It’s good for you to be thankful [Psalm 92:1]. The people I know who are thankful are joyful people - and joyful people are better people.

As Christ followers, make it a practice praising God in thankfulness for who He is and what He can do. He’s deserving of our praise regardless the circumstance. 

I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1