"Mom, I want..."
"Mom, may I please..."
"Mom, give me..."
As a mom, I often get exasperated by my kids' desires for "more." They are basically good kids, but are self-centered, as most kids are. I give them candy, and then they ask for gum. I let them watch a movie, and then they want to play on the computer. I let them have a friend over for the afternoon, but then they want to take them somewhere. I lament, "Just once I wish you'd just say thank you, and be grateful for what you have instead of asking for more!"
"Lord, help me to..."
"Lord, heal the..."
"Lord, I need..."
"Lord, save the..."
I feel the nudge of God saying, "Just once I wish you'd just say thank you, and be grateful for what you have...."
Lord, thank you so much! Thank you for my health, my healthy family, my church that I love, my great friends, my home, my car, my food, my wardrobe, my pets!! Lord, I am so abundantly blessed, I have so much...and yet my prayers are often childish. I, I, I. Lord, forgive me. May my prayers focus on you, not "I." May my prayers be thankful and grateful for what I have, and not focused on what I don't. Thank you Lord, for your gentle nudges to direct me the right way. In Jesus Name, Amen.
1 Chronicles 16:34 -- Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Romans 1:21 -- For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Ephesians 5:19, 20 -- Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
25 comments:
What an absolute truth. Boy this hits home. We are so quick to correct our children and yet we show the same actions toward God. This was an eye opener for me. Thank you - now when will your next post be up? :)
Amen, If the shoe fits wear it, well I know I am wearing it. This was a good one for a Monday morning. Thanks for a great share
Have a Blessed day!!
Ouch.
And, um, thanks!
Wow! Thanks for this reminder to watch out for the gimmes in our prayer life!
What a great reminder. Thank you!
First of all, it is obvious our children are related.
Second of all...it is obvious you and I are also. Thank you for the reminder.
GREAT ANALOGY...AS USUAL.
I totally agree Kelly. Why is it that we never seem satisfiec? We always seem to want more. Thanks for the message and Thank you God for all that you do for me.
Yes, once again, you tweak our hearts and bring us truth. Thanks for this post:)
This is so true, wanting more. I try really hard to be grateful for what I do have but I'm often thinking, gee I wish I had that or I need this.
Thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind comments about my devo. When I was notified it was getting published, I had to find it and read it again, since it had been so long since I wrote it! ha ha. It ministered to ME! I'm glad it touched a few others too.
I always notice your name on Lysa's comments...but never clicked over to visit.
I LOVE your header...how CUTE!!!
Hope to chat again sometime!
blessings,
Sandy Cooper
Agreed! I am always disheartened when my kids want "more", too. Isn't it amazing how much we can learn about our relationship with God through our relationship with our kiddos?
Thanks for the good reminder!
While we can overdo in our asking, I think the important thing to remember is Who the giver is and that He does deserve our gracious thanks.
I would have a hard time not asking for prayer on someone's behalf, say, or even, as a kid, wondering if the wonderful time I was experiencing couldn't be extended (because sometimes that's not selfish asking--though I totally know where you're coming from in regard to questioning motivation).
The caution is asking and asking and asking as if God were some food dispensing machine. Where is our heart and are we truly grateful for the privilege of being able to ask in the first place?
Thank you for the outing today, by the way!
Wonderful post as always
A thankful heart truly is a happy heart.
A thankful heart ushers us into His presence!
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." Psalm 100:4
Hugs to you, Kelly! (I think of you every morning now when I drink coffee out of my "Live with Regis and Kelly" mug!
Sharon :)
I am reminded of a picture I carry in my mind of a child in the front of the grocery buggy trying to lean over & grab a cigar. Demmanding a cigar, of all things inappropriate. The answer is NO YOU CAN'T HAVE A CIGAR! The child has a hissy fit not understanding. Oh yeah. I get it. He knows what's best and will make sure I have what I need. And it's not cigars. LOL. Great post.
Thank you for this reminder! I truly need it each and every day! Hope you had a great day!
Love ya,
Susan
Hmmm. I'm right there with you on this one!
nice post! It is inspirasional and truth. Thank you lord for reminder me by " Thank You "
God's abundance and blessing you
Ouch!! When I started reading I thought, "yeah, me too!" And in the end I thought humbly..."Yeah, ME too!!" Thanks Kelly!
AMEN!
THANK YOU JESUS!!
I posted on Sonya's Thankful Thursdays last week because I felt God's nudge to give thanks also. He is good. You started out this week with a grateful heart! It is going to be a good week.
I have begun to tell people thank you for "little things." As a new widow I realize some people call me to join them for dinner, etc. because they are concerned about me being alone. My husband's work as physician left me many times to fend for myself so that is not an issue for me. Soon after his death I wanted to be alone and I don't believe I was that expressive when people called.
I am healing enough from the grief to notice the thoughtfulness of others. I pray to "see" the kindness of God and all the people in my life. I want to tell them I appreciae their input in my life.
It's been fun taking the time to truly express my gratitude and noticing people's reactions. That lets me know I wasn't doing this with gusto until now.
Thank you for hearing God to write. I look forward to reading your powerful life giving words.
Thanks!
The "attitude of gratitude" needs constant cultivation. The great thing is it can become a habit if we do it enough!! Thanks for the reminder.
Well I don't know how I missed this. Could have sworn I came by here on Monday. So sorry my dear little bloggy friend.
This is true of all of us so much of the time. Funny, the phrase I say to Emily A LOT is "Be thankful for what you have, and don't worry about what you don't have." LOL! Now I just have to show her how it's done. :)
Amazing... crazy how sometimes are kiddos make us realize how selfish we ourselves can be.
Thanks for sharing.
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