Pastor’s Corner: Living a life of gratitude

Thanksgiving Day will soon be upon us. It is the day we pause to count our blessings. So, I would like to share some thoughts about living a life of gratitude.

Do you want to live a life of gratitude every day, not just one day a year?

The first step you must take is reframing your thought process. You must learn to live a life focused on the blessings you have already received from God instead of always wanting more. Somewhere, some time ago, someone coined the phrase “We live in a rat race.”

People scurry about, trying to survive. The more we have, the more we want. It is like the pack rat who is forever looking for a bigger place to live because of all his accumulated junk.

Many people live with the attitude that there is never enough. If they accumulate a thousand dollars, then they want a million. If they have one million, they want two. If they have a Chevy, they want a Buick; if they have a Buick, they want a Cadillac. Most of us are rich compared to most people who live in this world, yet for many of us, it is not enough.

When I start getting pulled into yearning after stuff, I remember Matthew 6:31-32: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.” Trust and praise God.

The second step you must take is to focus on your faith and not your fears. Do you know why many people worry? Worry is a substitute for faith. Worry does for some people what faith does for others. Please stick with me; this is important. Have you heard anybody say, “Don’t tell me it doesn’t help to worry? Most of the things I worry about never happen!” They really mean it! Some people are genuinely concerned about what they fear will happen if they fail to worry.

So, some people worry because they believe it keeps danger away. They are substituting worry for God. They are, at heart, non-believers. Focus on your faith in God rather than your fears; worry will dissipate. Believe that you can trust God to handle any situation that you may confront and then relax. God’s resources are greater than our resources. I pray Isaiah 41:10 when I am afraid, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Live your life in perpetual praise to God for God’s goodness, and fear will melt away.

I want to invite you to two fantastic musical events at Dixon First UMC to usher in the season of Advent and Christmas. At 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, in our beautiful sanctuary, we will have our Advent candlelight service, and then at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, we will host the local Christian music group Heirborn for their Christmas concert.

- The Rev. Timothy Mitchell is the senior pastor at Dixon First United Methodist Church.