What Does It Take for You to Have a Heart of Gratitude?

By the time most people have reached 50 years of age, enough history has been experienced to cover the pages of a book. Making the transition can be joyful simply because children have become self-reliant – have left home for college or work and basically are supporting themselves.

However, making the transition into the next half-century can be disruptive due to unavoidable changes. Looking in the mirror portrays a mature person. Making a healthy transition depends on accepting who you have become and what you will become.

Looking back over the past, is your heart filled with gratitude for how you’ve been blessed by God and how you are a blessing to others? If not, please take the Apostle Paul’s advice “not to conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by renewing your mind.” 

Then you will please God by being in his perfect will and serving him. 

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Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

~1Thessalonians 5:16-18 New International Version

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What's Keeping You from Owning an Attitude of Gratitude?

Parents are often amused by their teenagers who cannot wait to become older to enjoy the privileges of adulthood. Yet as adults cross the line between being young and older, obsessing with aging can evolve into a crisis for those who feel life is passing them by.

However, each stage of life presents opportunities to develop and strengthen the virtue of being thankful for the things you possess. Owning a mindset of gratitude is the antidote for depression and sadness created by the losses you’ve experienced in life.

God’s desire for you is to be at peace with yourself and others as you enter each stage of adult development. Inner peace and peace with God and others is possible only as you permit yourself to have a heart of gratitude. This becomes realistic as you surrender to the help God provides and as you practice being thankful. 

         

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...Fear the Lord [with awe and profound reverence] and serve him faithfully [and thankfully] with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

~1 Samuel 12:24 Amplified Bible

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What Reasons Do You Have for Expressing Gratitude?

The adult stages of life are as predictable as those of childhood. Young adulthood is concerned with finding a marriage partner, gaining career success, having children, and creating a home. The body naturally begins a transformation due to natural changes or neglect and abuse.

When too much emphasis is devoted to acquiring all the trappings that comprise our identity, a personal crisis can develop. As individuals reach a transitional phase in adult development, changes occur that can be surprising and often will create anxiety associated with an uncertain future.

God intended for us to live with gratitude for all he has provided from our childhood onward.

This season of Thanksgiving is a special reminder for expressing gratitude to God and other people for the joy they have provided that’s made life worth living. Praise God for giving us Jesus, the Prince of Peace!     

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All you that are righteous be glad because of what the Lord has done! Remember what the Holy God has done, and give thanks to him.

~Psalm 97:13 Good News Bible

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In What Ways Is God Taking Care of You?

Every individual and family will experience a crisis at some level in due time. A crisis may appear totally unexpected, creating surprise, confusion, and sadness. It is possible to diminish the impact of a crisis by realizing there are ways of managing a response when it does come.

God is in the business of helping us when we seek his guidance in every aspect of life. Psalm 32:7 provides these assuring words: “You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” When a crisis occurs, help is available.

Counter weaknesses with your strengths instead of delaying to take action. Permit challenges to be a blessing by realizing change is needed. Take care of your body, for it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In this season of Thanksgiving, praise God with gratitude for his love, guidance, and provision.                         

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God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you…Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!…Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

~Psalm 63:1,3,7 New Living Translation

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Is It Beneficial to Identify Positive Attributes in Others?

We are all aware of what happens when important issues are not addressed and solutions found. Delaying to take action to find solutions is fertile ground for a crisis to evolve. A crisis can be avoided by seeking help from God and expressing gratitude for what he provides.

Rare is the situation where it is impossible to express gratitude. I  realize that resentment and fear can so dominate a relationship or a situation that the expressions of gratitude seem beyond utterance. Yet the desire for peace and acceptance seldom escapes our consciousness.

Consider the other person’s positive attributes and tell them what you observe. Permit mutual love for God to create a sense of gratitude within you. This can be the beginning of a relationship of peace for each person. God gives insight, hope and peace to those who love him.            

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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called… And be thankful.

~Colossians 3:15 Revised Standard Version

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Is a Crisis Preventable?

Procrastination may eventually create a crisis in significant areas of a relationship. If important issues are neglected and unresolved, they can be responsible for creating a crisis. Failure to adjust to personal differences leads to misunderstandings and miscommunications in relationships.

Efforts to discuss issues may digress into anger if differences in personalities, beliefs, and feelings are allowed to dominate and potentially cause tension. If just thinking about certain issues arouse acute anxiety, postpone discussing these issues until after Thanksgiving celebrations. 

By focusing on mutual feelings of gratitude, tension and irritability can be averted. God’s word encourages us to “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” Isaiah 26:3 promises to “keep in perfect peace those who trust in him.” So do not delay in asking God for wisdom and peace.  

                    

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Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.

~Ephesians 4:3 Good News Bible

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How Does Procrastination Change Your Identity?

Procrastination has been characterized as the art of delay, which means to successfully put off doing a task until later or never. Biblical history credits God’s people with delaying to do what they knew was God’s will. Adam and Eve delayed confessing their sin to God until it could not be avoided.

Procrastination is defined as passive resistance rather than open rebellion. Passive resistance knows a task needs to be done, but it sabotages that commitment through delays caused by anxiety or by deliberate resistance.

Overcoming procrastination will change your identity as you permit God to redeem you with his unconditional love. Remember, God sent Jesus to redeem you from the irresponsibility of sin and its penalty. He chose you to be at work in his world to do what is set before you to do. If you cooperate with God, you will definitely be blessed with confidence.  

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There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets [you] free from the law of sin and death.

~Romans 8:1 New International Version

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How Does Anxiety Weigh a Person Down?

Procrastination can become a habit comparable to an addiction when it takes control of a person’s life. A wheelchair-bound movie director, dependent on an oxygen tank for breathing, continued smoking against his doctor’s advice. He promised his family to quit smoking but would not keep his promise.

Procrastinating gives rise to others losing confidence in you to keep your word to do what is right. David in Psalm 39:2 said, “My suffering grew worse and I was overcome with anxiety.” David’s delay caused his burden to grow heavier.

Proverbs 12:25 affirms, “Anxiety inside in a man’s heart weighs him down.” But is there a better way? The answer is, yes! 

Ask God for courage to act immediately, and step up to the plate to do what is right. Believe you’re worthy of God’s help, and he will empower you to overcome procrastination. Trust in God to keep his promises.    

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When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you, [O Lord]. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting in [you, my God], what can mere man do to me?

~Psalm 56:3-4 The Living Bible

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" tomorrow morning (Thursday, November 14) from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

Can Negative Effects of Procrastination and Anxiety Be Defeated?

While anxiety is helpful at appropriate levels, it can be harmful if allowed to build where it sabotages daily objectives. Anxiety can serve as motivation to study for exams or to complete a task for recognition at work. Anxiety prompts individuals to take seriously the important issues of life.

A negative example is that of a young man who related how he had avoided calling a friend to apologize for comments that had produced hurt feelings as well as an ongoing conflict between them. Embarrassment, combined with shame and guilt, produced the anxiety that fueled his procrastination.

God’s word can defeat the negative effects of procrastination and anxiety. Listen to Philippians 4:6: “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Procrastination can be defeated by asking God for help and by thanking him for his guidance.  

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Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22 New Living Translation

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Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

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 You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" this week on Thursday morning, November 14 from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

Is There an Answer for the Anxiety Created by Deception?

Habitual procrastination will ultimately produce a negative identity. Procrastination promotes a negative identity which cannot be hidden from yourself. It’s also embarrassing because you cannot deny the guilt and shame caused by deception and broken promises.

With many individuals anxiety is responsible for delays in getting started on a given task. Ivan Goncharov, the Russian novelist, wrote that anxiety provoked complaints which quickly evolved into weariness and indifference known as procrastination.

The solution for anxiety associated with procrastination is to pull yourself together and begin the task to be completed. Simply trust that God cares for you and will enable and strengthen you to do what’s before you if you sincerely desire to change your attitude. Permit the Holy Spirit to change your thoughts and attitudes and replace the anxiety with courage.  

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

~Ephesians 6:10-11 Revised Standard Version

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Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

________________________________

You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" next week on Thursday morning, November 14 from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

What Makes Apathy So Debilitating?

The danger of procrastination is that it can evolve into apathy. Apathy can be described as a lack of emotional caring about whether life is good or bad. Apathy can produce a lack of passion for life. 

When a person has passion for life, there is motivation for what has to be done.

The first step in turning procrastination into achievement is to change your attitude. God desires for you to achieve and be successful, so take ownership of what’s causing you to procrastinate. By your taking ownership, God is in a position to heal you spiritually and emotionally.

God designed you to achieve and care about your future. He never intended for you to be apathetic and uncaring. Listen to God’s word from Galatians 6:9: “So let us not become tired of doing good, for if we do not give up, a time will come when we will reap a harvest of blessings.” This attitude and the resulting action open the door for a new life filled with achievement.  

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Love sincerely. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Love one another tenderly as fellow Christians. Outdo one another in showing respect.

~Romans 12:9-10 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

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Can You Refrain from Procrastinating?

Edward Young, the English poet and playwright, advised his readers that “Being wise today is madness deferred.” Seemingly, there’s always a better time for the procrastinator to begin a task. To defer means, delay doing whatever until later. Edward Young says it’s foolish to defer what you can do now.

Do you know why it’s foolish? A college freshman had to face the consequences of delaying writing term papers and studying for exams. He was busy enjoying a new-found social life. Opportunities and blessings go by the wayside by deferring responsibilities.

Only when he ceased blaming others and confessed to his irresponsibility one year later did he become a successful student. The words from the  prophet Ezra are relevant today: “Confess to the Lord and do what pleases him.” It pleases God for you to be wise and refrain from procrastinating. So be thankful for that opportunity.  

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He who troubles his household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.

~Proverbs 11:29-30 Revised Standard Version

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What Value Is There in Confessing Irresponsibility?

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the youngster who came to class empty-handed proclaiming, “My dog ate my homework.” A teacher might excuse a student once for concocting such a story, but if procrastination is the issue, then blaming the dog will cease to be acceptable.

Why is it so difficult to own up to procrastination and say, “Yes it’s my fault. I put off finishing the task until it was too late to finish. This is a bad habit.” Confessing to a fault is painful, and courage is required to be honest, but taking ownership to procrastinating is necessary for change.

God’s word assures us that confession of irresponsibility is what God honors. Listen to James 5:16: “Admit your faults and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Pray for courage to be the kind of person who is honest in all things.          

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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

~2 Peter 1:5-7 New International Version

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