A True Challenge

Pastor Tim brought up an interesting point in his sermon on Sunday. He was preaching on Ephesians 5:1-10. The entire message was good, but something particularly stuck out to me.
Ephesians 5:4 "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." Pastor Tim went further to encourage us to replace every negative thought/word with thanksgiving. One of his examples were: Instead of complaining that it's cold out (windchills on Sunday made it below zero)....be thankful that we don't live in Alasaka!

While Tim was preaching, I was thinking to myself of how often I complain and it's honestly more than I should. I don't even complain a lot but I do at times. Everyone does. But this is a challenge that I think I'm up for. Something I'd like to give a whirl. Goodbye negativity! haha I find it particularly challenging not to complain while at work. First because I obvious would rather be...well...pretty much anywhere besides work haha. But also because the people I work with are usually complaining...about the whether, their workload, personal things, etc. So in order to talk with them sometimes, I'm dragged into complaining about employees or something of the sort. Instead I should be thankful I have a job. Thankful that it's actually a good job with good benefits, a good boss, etc. But I think this will probably be the area that will be most challenging for me.

I really am thankful for all the blessings in my life. Even though there are some things I wish were different, I am thankful for God's mercies in my life, thankful for Jesus paying the price for my sins, thankful for a husband who loves me unconditionally, thankful for a house to come home to and food to eat....the list is actually endless. I know I'm thankful on the inside, but I'd like to verbalize it more often.

I think this might be a real revelation for me. A true "ah-ha!" moment in which I can take grasp of the negativity I think up and spew out and turn it into gratitude.