Choosing Gratitude - A Challenge

I am in the process of reading a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss called, "Choosing Gratitude". I just started reading this book a few nights ago and what a challenge it has been to me already as I discover how easy it is for me to gripe and complain instead of being thankful, gracious and grateful.

God's timing is perfect in all things. Let me take you back to Wednesday and give you some history. I have been battling a particular problem for several weeks now. So much so, that I found myself becoming physically ill and angry about my circumstances. I might be going out on a limb here, but I think it would be safe to say that at least one time in your life you may have experienced a situation similar to this.

My pastor's wife could see I was troubled and offered to listen. The thing is, I was so angry about my circumstance I felt like I would have unwound at such a high rate of speed that I would not have made any sense;even worse I feared I would be in the flesh. This is not a side that anybody should ever have to see, trust me.

That afternoon a shipment of books arrived. I opened up the box and what was the very first book on top? Yes, you guessed it! CHOOSING GRATITUDE! I picked up the book, thumbed through a few pages and read an excerpt from the pages that smote my heart. Do you think I can find that paragraph now? No, but isn't that just how the Lord works to get your attention?

Nevertheless, I picked up the book, paid for it and brought it home and began reading it (after I had finished "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" by Mark Cahill - by the way, another great book every Christian should read).

So far I am a third of the way through the book and I ran across a challenge the author gives to the reader to cultivate gratitude. The 30-day challenge is two-fold: 1) For the next 30 days purpose to say nothing negative about your husband to him or to anyone else, and 2) Over the course of the next 30 days express at least one thing that you admire or appreciate about your husband to either him or somebody else.

If not your husband than maybe pick someone who you are having a hard time getting along with or may be hard to love in Christ. It is so easy for us (because of our sin nature) to pop off something negative when we are are feeling hurt, distraught, ignored or even put out.

This book has more to offer than this challenge. It helps the reader understand there is a cycle - guilt - grace - gratitude. It helps the reader question their level of thankfulness and if it is not where it ought to be, then what has crept in to steal it? In many cases the lack of thankfulness or GRATITUDE is the root of many other sins that creep into our lives.

Trust me when I say it is a book worth reading, but beware it will challenge your heart.