Transformation through Worship
Today I came across an excerpt, a perfect follow-up to
illustrate the power of worship, written about and circulated yesterday. There
is a challenge to be taken; read on and see if you are up to taking that
challenge. The excerpt is:
“As I walked with God, I began to grow in my relationship
with Him, but I continued to battle chronic depression. A wise Christian woman
urged me to begin keeping a Gratitude
Journal. She encouraged me to keep a notebook by my bed and to record
three things for which I was thankful before turning out the lights. She said
that by dwelling on positive things before bedtime, I would sleep better. She
challenged me to do this for 90 days, suggesting that it would give me a more
positive outlook on life.
I took the challenge. At first I recorded obvious and
generic things such as being thankful for friends and family. Then I began to
pay closer attention to things throughout the day, and I discovered many things
for which I could be thankful: a compliment from someone that lifted my spirits
or a thunderstorm that reminded me of God’s awesome power. The exercise forced
me to become observant. It increased my awareness of the small ways in which
God expresses His love towards us every day.
I maintained the journal for only 3 months, but it changed
my outlook for ever. I began to look for and find God’s overtures of love
toward me in a multitude of ways. Taking notice of small things opened my eyes
to bigger things God was doing in my life. I began to feel grateful that He had
healed me from chronic depression, and I marveled at how He had changed my
attitude toward Him from one of desperate defiance, like a hurt animal, to one
of quiet acceptance and eager anticipation. Or, to put it a different way, I
went from being desperate for a drop of God’s love to swimming in the ocean of
God’s love. Finally, I was floating with total confidence in God’s love rather
than fighting it like a drowning person.”
- An excerpt from Christy Bower’s book “Best Friends With
God” taken from Our Daily Bread 2016 Annual Edition.
The challenge:
Will you start and maintain your Gratitude Journal for 3 months and then share
how it has helped you?
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